Funding boost for British gymnast

Brown on the London 2012 bid poster

A British gymnast who faced giving up his Olympic dream due to a lack of cash has found a sponsor.

Ben Brown, who starred in a poster for the London 2012 bid, was forced to quit after failing to get the £15,000 of funding he needed to train full-time.

But online gaming site King Solomons Poker has stepped in to provide the necessary funding.

"I couldn't believe it when they told me they were able to help. Now I can focus on the job at hand," he said.

The firm will pay Brown's training and living costs, plus performance-related bonuses for tournaments in the run-up to the Games.

The 21-year-old, who was pictured vaulting the "Gherkin Tower" in the campaign, had gone back to working full-time in a bank after his funding problems.

The poker site's head of group marketing, Keren Fuchs, said: "We read about Ben's story and got in touch with him. We spoke to him about his ambitions.

"We never really doubted that were going to sponsor him. He is a fantastic young man and we are delighted to help him achieve his dreams."