Starting from scratch, BBC presenter Radzi Chinyanganya will attempt to master one the sport's disciplines - to be revealed later this year - and perform a routine in front of an audience of 7,000 at the showpiece competition, which is to get underway at the SSE Hydro in the Scottish city in 250 days' time.

"This is a really exciting project to be involved with and I have so much admiration for Radzi taking on this incredibly difficult challenge," Smith said.

"Gymnastics is a great sport for boys and girls of all ages to take part in, but to get to the level required to compete at the World Championships takes years of dedication and hard work.

"I am sure Radzi can inspire even more children to give gymnastics a go and that they will follow his progress on Blue Peter with interest."

To mark the 250 days to go to milestone, Chinyanganya and Smith, who is also an event ambassador, visited the Glasgow Club Bellahouston Leisure Centre to get the project underway today.

They were joined by young gymnasts from the city, who were demonstrating the different skills required on the pommel horse, vault, floor, parallel bar, rings and horizontal bar.

Radzi Chinyanganya and Louis Smith were in Glasgow to celebrate the 250 days to go milestone to the World Gymnastics Championships ©Jeff Holmes


"I can't wait to get started on the gymnastics challenge - I'm a huge sports fan," Chinyanganya said.

"I watched every minute of BBC coverage of the Olympics including gymnastics and now I am getting the opportunity to do something I have never done before.

"I did a little bit of gymnastics when I was five as part of PE at school but never to this level and to get this chance to find out what my strengths may be and definitely my weaknesses are and then to get to perform in front of thousands of people at the World Championships in the Hydro is amazing.

"I have got seven months to prepare and I am going to need a lot of mental as well as physical preparation."

The World Gymnastics Championships, which are scheduled to take place from October 23 to November 1, are expected to attract more than 500 athletes representing 80 nations from across the globe.

For tickets click here. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
October 2014: Glasgow celebrates one-year to go until World Artistic Gymnastics Championships