Sixteen-year-old Amy Tinkler, from Bishop Auckland, claimed a stunning sixth gymnastics medal for Great Britain at the Rio Olympics after taking bronze in the women's floor final on Tuesday.

Tinkler, the youngest member of the 366-strong GB delegation and a winner at The Northern Echo's Local Heroes awards in 2011, produced a nerveless performance to finish behind American pair Simone Biles and Alexandra Raisman.

While Biles was celebrating her fourth gold medal of the Games, one was enough for Tinkler, who was rated an outside chance of adding to an increasingly impressive gymnastics haul.

Starting fourth, Tinkler scored 14.933 to take the lead, although it was predictably no match for the peerless Biles, who took over in the gold medal position with a total of 15.966.

The Northern Echo:

Bishop Auckland's Amy Tinkler celebrates a bronze medal in the Women's Floor Exercise final at the Rio Olympic Arena. Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

Two mistakes from Guila Steingruber cost the Swiss any chance of a medal, and although Raisman nudged Tinkler into third, the final gymnast, Victoria Ferrari of Italy, could not match Tinkler's score.

Amy, who is a member of South Durham Gymnastics Club, wept tears of joy after sealing her medal.

Afterwards a stunned Amy said: "My coach told me I had nothing to lose and to just go out and enjoy myself.

"I knew I'd done the best I could so I'd have been happy whatever the result. To win a medal is just unreal."

The Durham High School student, who trains more than 30 hours a week at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, thrives on the pressure of the big competitions and having tasted success on the big stage with a team bronze at the World produced her best for The Games tonight.

Before she left for Rio, Amy, who has been doing gymnastics since she was just two-years-old, said: “The atmosphere is going to be incredible. I am just going to treat it like any other competition. I just love competing and the crowd is going to be huge.”

The Northern Echo:

Less than an hour after Amy's medal-winning performance, Team GB's Nile Wilson grabbed bronze in the men's horizontal bar.

It capped a stunning week for British gymnastics after Max Whitlock's double gold, plus bronze in the all-around event and silver medals for Louis Smith and trampolinist Bryony Page.