Britain’s Nile Wilson secured an historic gold on the high bar ©Getty Images

Britain’s Nile Wilson secured an historic gold on the high bar as compatriot Louis Smith finished a disappointing fourth on his favoured pommel horse apparatus on the final day of men’s action at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Bern.

Wilson performed a brave routine which was rewarded with 15.300 to ensure he led home a British one-two, with team-mate Kristian Thomas taking silver on 15.000.

The superb performance from the 20-year-old saw him become the first-ever gymnast from his country to claim the European high bar title.

David Belyavskiy, a member of the Russian team which earned the team crown yesterday, won bronze with a score of 14.941.

“That feeling is just incredible; you train your whole life for moments like that, standing on the top of podium singing the national anthem with a gold medal,” Wilson said.

“To be standing there with our team captain Kristian, someone who has helped me so much and is such a great role model makes it even more special.

“I felt the nerves before my routine but had to stay focused, I knew I had it in me and I did it.”

Wilson’s fellow Briton Smith, pommel horse silver medallist at London 2012, came into the apparatus final as the favourite but was unable to defend his title, with a fall during his routine proving costly.

The World Championships runner-up finished outside of the medals on 14.733 as Harutyun Merdinyan sealed gold for Armenia with a total of 15.366.

Silver went the way of Belyavskiy after he posted 15.233, while Christian Baumann delivered a surprise bronze for hosts Switzerland on 14.900.

Harutyun Merdinyan sealed gold on the pommel horse as Britain's defending champion Louis Smith was fourth
Harutyun Merdinyan sealed gold on the pommel horse as Britain's defending champion Louis Smith was fourth ©Getty Images

Reigning world champion Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece ensured he didn’t suffer the same fate as Smith by sealing his third consecutive European rings gold medal by recording 15.866 thanks to a fluent routine.

Vahagn Davtyan of Armenia and Russia’s Denis Abliazin couldn’t be separated as both scored 15.633 to share silver.

There were also two silver medallists in the vault final as Artur Davtyan of Armenia and Romanian Marian Drăgulescu, who has a move on the apparatus named after him, posted 15.316 in a final won by Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev on 15.399.

Russia’s Nikita Nagornyy clinched the floor title on 15.566, with Drăgulescu adding another silver to his collection thanks to his total of 15.333.

Alexander Shatilov of Israel's 15.300 was enough for bronze.

Belyavskiy was another Russian gymnast to secure gold as he won the parallel bars on a colossal 16.033 points, comfortably ahead of Verniaiev and Marcel Nguyen of Germany, silver and bronze medallists respectively.

The competition in Bern continues until Wednesday (June 1) with the beginning of the women’s events.