A STRONG camaraderie is crucial in any team yet sisters Becky and Ellie Downie share a bond that is more unbreakable than most.

Nicknamed "Double Downie" by their fans, at first glance the gymnastics duo look more like twins than siblings who were born seven years apart.

Becky, 23, is a reigning double Commonwealth Games gold medallist and former European champion who has helped carve a path for the next generation of British gymnasts among which younger sister Ellie, 16, is one of the country's rising stars.

Ellie is fast gaining her own stellar reputation. She became the first female gymnast to win an individual all-around medal for Great Britain at the European Championships with a bronze in Montpelier in April.

The 2015 World Gymnastics Championships get under way in Glasgow a little under 50 days from now. A record 615 gymnasts from 91 countries are set to descend on the SSE Hydro from October 23 until November 1.

It will be the biggest sporting event on Scottish soil since the 2014 Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup last year.

To mark the occasion, Glasgow photographers Alistair Devine and Stuart Gray have released a series of eye-catching portraits of the sport's top competitors against iconic city landmarks.

Great Britain hopefuls Becky and Ellie were photographed striking a pose among the hustle and bustle of Buchanan Street.

For the Nottingham-based pair, the location was arguably a good choice. "I love fashion and design – I'm always changing up my look," says Becky. "Ellie is pretty big into fashion as well. We love shopping. It has been good to spend quality time in Glasgow."

When Becky competed at the Commonwealth Games it was for the Auld Enemy – England – but she is relishing the prospect of delighting a home crowd as part of Team GB.

Both she and Ellie also hope to be selected for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio next summer.

"We have known for a good few years that it is a possibility but now it is becoming more real," says Becky. "I feel we are strong contenders for the team.

"In terms of the pressure of one of us making the team versus the other, I don't feel that because we are fighting for different things.

"I'm more of a bars and beam specialist, while Ellie is an all-arounder."

The sisters are fond of their "Double Downie" nickname. "It is nice to go on this journey with someone else," says Becky.

"To be able to share it with my sister is pretty cool. The first part of my career I didn't have Ellie with me to do all these things, so it is nice to have that experience."

Both laugh when asked whether it means double trouble.

"A lot of people confuse us and think I'm older than Becky because I'm taller," says Ellie. "We have a big age difference but we are very close."

Scotland's Daniel Purvis had his photograph taken against the stunning backdrop of the SSE Hydro where he won gold for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games last summer.

He hopes to add to that medal success at the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships.

"The first goal is to make the Great Britain team to compete at the World Championships," he says. "We have trials coming up at the end of this month.

"After that we will be trying to qualify the team for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Team GB needs to finish in the top eight in the world in order to do that. We would love to try and get on the podium as a team in Glasgow."

Daniel is the reigning British and Scottish all-around champion. Although born in Liverpool and brought up on Merseyside, his mother Denise hails from Dundee and he made the decision early in his gymnastics career to represent Scotland.

The 24-year-old took all-around bronze at the 2015 European Gymnastics Championships earlier this year. He won gold on parallel bars, bronze on rings and team silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and Olympic team bronze at London 2012.

"I would love to go to the World Championships and get a team or individual medal in front of a home crowd," he says. "I have only ever had one world medal. I have been close on several occasions and had a lot of fourth positions so to break that would be fantastic.

"If I could go to another Olympics and represent my country one more time I would come away proud. To win another Olympic medal would be a dream come true. I could walk away at the end of my career content with everything I had achieved."

The 2015 World Gymnastics Championships will take place at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow from October 23 until November 1. For tickets, visit 2015worldgymnastics.com