Great Britain's men's tumbling team were unable to defend their 2019 world title as the Russian Gymnastics Federation took the gold medal at the 35th Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships in Baku.
GB finished atop the pile two years ago and qualified for the 2021 final in second place behind RGF, whose margin of victory was far smaller in the showpiece event, though.
Jaydon Paddock just about managed to hold his landing on a full-twisting triple back somersault dismount to post 36.600 before William Cowen's well-executed double-twisting double straight to triple pike was rewarded with a 37.300.
2013 world champion Kristof Willerton - the only British man to win an individual world title in tumbling - also posted a 37.300 following his clean pass, but the RGF outgunned GB on difficulty to take the title.
Vadim Afanasev - the 2018 world champion - recorded a score of 37.700 after completing his trademark full-twisting triple pike somersault, while reigning individual champion Aleksandr Lisitsyn landed his twisting triple without a single step to post 39.100.
It's sensational SILVER for the men's tumbling team of Kristof Willerton, Jaydon Paddock, William Cowen and Elliott Browne 🥈👏
— British Gymnastics (@BritGymnastics) November 19, 2021
That was a truly world class final. The boys gave it everything! What an achievement 🇬🇧#TRAWorldChampBaku2021 pic.twitter.com/pPL7nniPUV
The RGF's team total of 112.800 saw them take the title above GB's 111.200, with Denmark down in third with 106.900 as the USA (105.000) and Ukraine (102.400) finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Great Britain's men scooped silver after the women's team had won the bronze medal a few hours earlier in Azerbaijan.
Ben Knapton
