DAN PURVIS says his surprise selection for the British team for the gymnastics world championships in Canada at the start of next month has given him a new lease of life.

The 26-year-old, who was overlooked for last year’s Rio Olympics last year and spent the months after his exclusion from the team in a bout of soul searching, has been rewarded for his performance at the London Open earlier this month, which doubled up as a qualification event for the worlds.

“I found out about a week ago but it has all been kind of top secret,” said Purvis, one of Sunday Herald's Six To Follow for Gold Coast 2018. “It’s great to be honest. After last year [Rio] and everything, it was really hard to get over that. I’ve been working towards the Commonwealth Games with my coach Jeff Brooks which, ultimately, was the next step after not making Rio so to make the worlds team before it is just fantastic news. I’m really proud of how I’ve been able to get there.

“It was a bit of vindication to get up there and get all six apparatus. It has given me a lot more hope now that even after the Commonwealth Games there is more to give.”

Only two gymnasts were selected at the end of the qualification process for the all-around competition and three for the other disciplines which meant Purvis missed out on the event with which he has become synonymous, however, he did record the second best score in the parallel bars to book his ticket.

Purvis, who won team silver at Glasgow in 2015 and bronze on the floor in Rotterdam in 2010, admits he will be entering new territory when the championships begin on October 2 in Montreal and is going with one aim in mind.

“The expectation is to go and enjoy it. There’s not an awful lot of pressure this time on my personal performance. I’ve never managed to make a parallel bars final in a world championships but hopefully now that I am just concentrating on the one piece I might have an okay chance of getting there. It’s a massive stepping stone [for the Commonwealths] and it will be great to be there to show the world that I am still up there.”