Playing in the Olympics, representing your own country at the international level is a dream for many athletes. And when you win a medal for your country, nothing can match the feeling and achievement.
Louis Antonie Smith is a former British gymnast who has won bronze and silver medals in three consecutive Olympics. The British won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and two silver medals at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Likewise, Louis was also part of the Great Britain team that bagged a bronze medal in the men’s artistic team all-around at the 2012 London Olympics.
In addition, Smith also took part in a couple of dance reality shows and won them too. So the British gymnast is a winner in every field, we must say.
Smith has been in talks for several reasons throughout his lifetime. Having represented his nation in one of the biggest sports competitions worldwide, Louis has proved himself in other fields.
This article will know Louis Smith better and dive into life: how he became who he is now, and everything about his life.
But first, let’s look at some quick, interesting facts about the British gymnast Louis Smith.
Louis Smith | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Louis Antonie Smith |
| Date Of Birth | April 22, 1989 |
| Place Of Birth | Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England |
| Nick/Pet Name | Lou, Lou-Lou |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | British |
| Ethnic Belonging | White |
| Father’s Name | Claude Smith |
| Mother’s Name | Elaine Smith |
| Number Of Siblings | Not known |
| Education | Arthur Mellows Village College |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Age | 34 years old |
| Height | ‎5 ft 10 in (179 cm) |
| Weight | 76 kg (168 lb) |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Hair color | Dark Brown (But he loves to change colors) |
| Shoe Size | Not Available |
| Body Measurement | Not Available |
| Built | Muscular |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Girlfriend | Charlie Bruce (a Jazz dancer) |
| Children | One |
| Occupation | Former gymnast, olympian, and dancer |
| Net worth | $ 1 Million to $5 Million (Approximate) |
| Salary | Exact data unavailable |
| Active Since | 2004 |
| Retired | 2018 |
| Pets | Not Available |
| Recent works | The Masked Dancer |
| Gymnastics Club | Huntingdon Gymnastics Club |
| Coach | Paul Hall |
| Social Media Handle | Twitter, Instagram |
| Louis Smith Merch | Gymnastics Mat, Gymnastics Equipment |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Louis Smith | Early Life, Family and Education
The Olympic medal winner was born on April 22, 1989, to mother Elaine and father Claude. Born as Louis Antoine Smith, he was brought up in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England, where he was born.
Likewise, about his parents, Louis’ mother is English, whereas his father is Jamaican-born. However, his parents separated when he was three.
At a young age, the champion athlete was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in 1995. So, due to this, he had to take medication and was on Ritalin for a year. He was six at that time.
At seven, Louis got offered a choral scholarship. Still, since his primary focus was developing a career in the field of gymnastics, he chose not to accept it and focus on gymnastics.
The star pommel horse champion learned to use the pommel with the help of a bucket tied and hung from the ceiling where he put his feet. And, that was a beginning of a tremendous, respectful journey that has now reached great heights.
Talking about education, Louis attended Arthur Mellows Village College in Glinton, Cambridgeshire. He talks about his childhood most of the time and remembers how his mother introduced him to various sports.
“My mum took me to a variety of sports but from a young age it was gymnastics that captured my attention and which I really wanted to progress in.”
He also said that he had to sacrifice his social life to focus better on the sport. In addition, he also didn’t do A-Levels, thinking it would divide his attention, and he couldn’t concentrate on gymnastics.
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Louis Smith | Age, Height and Weight
As of 2024, the British athlete is 34 years old. Weighing about 76 kg (168 lb), Louis Smith stands tall at the height of 5 ft 10 in (178 cm).
Louis Smith | Professional Career
Having learned and trained in gymnastics from a young age, Louis has come a long way to be in his rank today. However, his actual professional career started in 2004.
Initially starting his career on a positive note, Smith has crowned the European Champion on Pommel Horse. And, he made that title double in his stats when he was again the European Champion in 2006.
Likewise, in the same year, Louis took 5th place in the World Cup Final, which wasn’t the best of his career but was an excellent kickstart.
Louis won his first major international trophy for England in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia. He won the gold medal for his nation, beating a fierce opposition from the host nation, Australia, Prashanth Sellathurai.
Likewise, his first-ever World Championships representing Great Britain was the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, held in Stuttgart, Germany.
In the championship, he won a bronze medal in the Pommel Horse final. He also bagged a silver medal in the World Cup held in Ghent the same year.
The following year after the 2007 World Cup, Louis leveled up his game. However, he had to settle for silver in that year’s World Cup held in Moscow, Russia.
Olympics Journey
Smith qualified for the Olympic final of men’s pommel horse in 2008. And, the British-born won a bronze medal in the finals of the highly coveted 2008 Summer Olympics.
This achievement made Louis Smith the first British male to win a medal in individual gymnastics after Walter Tysal earned a silver medal in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
In addition, he became the first in his country to win a medal in gymnastics at the Olympics games since the British women’s team won one in 1928. Also, he is the second black male gymnast to win a medal in an Olympic competition.
However, the Olympics is a once-in-a-four-year competition. So, in between each competition, he competed in several championships, including the European Championship.
As a senior, Louis won his first-ever medal in the European Champion in 2009, where he won a silver medal. In 2010, he helped his British men’s team bag a silver medal in the European Championship, and he took the silver medal in the pommel horse.
He again had to face his Australian opponent Prashanth Sellathurai, and he beat Prashanth once again to win a silver medal.
2012 London Olympics
Louis Smith had a great start to the year 2012 too. Since this year, he has had to compete in the 2012 London Olympics. His silver medal win in the pommel horse finals in the European Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships significantly boosted confidence.
Smith competed as a part of the Great Britain team in the 2012 London Olympics. They won a bronze medal at the men’s artistic team all-around event.
Individually, Louis bagged a silver medal in the men’s pommel horse event. He scored the same points as his opponent, but Smith missed out on the prestigious Olympic gold medal due to a lower execution score.
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Retirement and Return
Louis Smith announced his retirement in 2013 and didn’t compete in any championships that year.
However, at the start of 2014, the British gymnast announced that he was back at the gym to train and prepare for his return to the international competitions.
Smith competed in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, where he earned a bronze medal remaining behind his teammates.
His first-ever individual European title came when he won a gold medal competing at the 2015 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Montpelier, France.
Likewise, Louis represented his nation again in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he finished second in the pommel horse final behind his teammate Max Whitlock.
Other Careers except for Gymnastics
Louis Smith had a great interest in singing and wanted to see what he could do further in this field.
So, in 2008, he auditioned for the show The X Factor. However, this attempt by the British gymnast was unsuccessful.
One of the most credited works of the Olympic medalist Louis besides gymnastics is his participation in the 2012 series of a dance reality television program, Strictly Come Dancing.
Partnering with Flavia Cacace, Louis showed his outstanding dance talent, put up great performances, and eventually went on to win the show.
Recently in 2021, Smith appeared in another dance reality show, The Masked Dancer. And, the champion athlete won the show being the first-ever winner of the series.
Louis Smith | Girlfriend, Affairs, and Kids
We’ve seen the British gymnast winning the hearts of thousands of viewers all around the world. Finally, however, there is someone who has won the heart of the British gymnast.
Recently, in 2017, Louis Smith began a relationship with a British Jazz Dancer, Charlie Bruce. The couple is open about their relationship.
Likewise, in September 2020, the duo announced that they were coming with a piece of good news. Louis Smith and his girlfriend Charlie Bruce were expecting their first child.
They even revealed the gender of the newborn in gender reveals video posted on their social media handles.
Louis Smith | Net Worth and Career Earnings
Being a star athlete, achieving great heights in your career, we generally expect the athlete to earn a lot. However, Louis Smith has also gained a lot in his gymnastics career and other fields.
So, he certainly has earned quite an amount of money, which has boosted his net worth figures.
The Olympics medalist, star athlete, gymnast Louis Smith has an approximate net worth of about $1 Million – $5 Million.
Louis Smith | Social Media Presence
When you are a sportsperson with a significant number of supporters and admirers worldwide, people want to know what’s going on in your life and want to know more about your personal life.
In today’s world, several mediums enable us to do so. And Louis Smith is making good use of it.
Louis is quite active in his social media handles, where he frequently posts about what he is doing and his personal life. Of course, he also loves posting about food, his love, and his child too.
Twitter: 220.3K Followers
Instagram: 131K Followers
Facebook: 31K Followers
Louis Smith | FAQs
Having competed in highly prestigious competitions and achieved greats, there are often questions that come up. Here are some frequently asked questions about Louis Smith.
Is Louis Smith still a gymnast?
Louis Smith is a retired British gymnast. He played his last gymnastics competition in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
