THE star-studded USA women’s team has successfully defended their title at the 2015 World Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow while Great Britain took a historic bronze – their first ever team medal on the world stage.

Amid an electric atmosphere at the SSE Hydro, the dominant athletic prowess of the American quintet dazzled even more than the thousands of shimmering crystals which bedecked their vivid red leotards.

Led by two-time world all-around champion Simone Biles, the team of Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman, both part of the "Fierce Five" that took gold at London 2012, alongside Maggie Nichols and Madison Kocian looked unstoppable.

It was always going to be a three-horse race for the minor placings between China, Great Britain and Russia with silver and bronze destined to be decided by the smallest of margins.

Coming into these world championships, the Great Britain team of Becky and Ellie Downie, Claudia Fragapane, Ruby Harrold, Amy Tinkler and Kelly Simm were considered an outside chance for a medal, but were undoubtedly buoyed after a third place in qualification.

At one stage it all appeared to have slipped away after falling to fifth at the halfway point, but in the final rotation they fought back displaying terrier with a post bag-like tenacity seeing Fragapane, Tinkler and Ellie Downie pull off a series of top drawer vaults.

Fragapane went first to score 14.833 and suddenly the arena sprung into life as hope was re-awakened. If the baby of the team Tinkler – celebrating her 16th birthday that very day – was feeling the pressure, she didn’t show. She nailed her vault with 15.083.

By the time Downie stepped up half the arena was on the edge of their seats, the other half watching nervously through splayed fingers. The European all-around bronze medallist had already taken a fall on her opening piece of asymmetric bars.

It was undoubtedly a huge weight of expectation on young shoulders. Downie didn’t flinch. She attacked the vault with gusto to score a huge 15.133. The cheers almost blew the roof off.

USA finished on 181.338 with China – silver medallists for the second year running on 176.164 – and Great Britain posting an impressive 172.380, usurping fourth placed Russia by 0.416.

From the outset it was a high octane affair. USA was not slow in getting down to business with Douglas up first to score 15.233 on vault, followed by Nichols with 15.466 and Biles posting a giant 15.966.

Harrold opened for Great Britain on asymmetric bars and produced a strong routine to score 14.433. Ellie Downie looked impressive but then came a heart-stopping fall which had echoes of her woes in qualification. She recovered to post 13.033. Not what she would have hoped for.

Big sister Becky Downie looked in confident mood and sailed through her routine with the seamless accuracy that has made her reigning Commonwealth Games and a former European champion on this apparatus. Her 14.833 was enough to help claw things back a touch for Great Britain.

Viktoria Komova launched the Russian attack on vault with 15.100 followed by Maria Paseka who posted 15.600 and Ksenia Afanasyeva 15.066. Over on bars China, who had looked off kilter in qualifying, were back to their trademark precision. Shang Chunsong posted 15.233, with Fan Yilin and Tan Jiaxin scoring 15.266 and 15.133.

USA led after one rotation followed by Russia, China and Great Britain.

As USA and Russia went to asymmetric bars, Great Britain and China progressed to beam. Among the standout performances in this rotation was from reigning European asymmetric bars champion Daria Spiridonova (Russia) who went clean with 15.141.

Next up was Olympic silver medallist Komova who had a surprise fall on bars score to 14.000. USA’s Nichols, showing why her nickname is “Mags Got Swag”, scored a decent 14.800. Douglas followed with 15.333 and apparatus specialist Kocian posted 15.300.

Ellie Downie, shrugging off her disappointment on bars, regained her mojo with 14.133 on beam.

USA held their impressive lead at the halfway stage followed by Russia, China and Canada with Great Britain slipping to fifth.

It all went to pieces for Russia on beam with Seda Tutkhalyan sitting down on landing, while Maria Kharenkova and Komova both had falls. With a trio of strong performances from Tinkler, Ellie Downie and Fragapane on floor, suddenly there was a glimmer of hope.

Lesser mortals would have crumbled but instead the Great Britain women sensed opportunity. Their place in the sporting history books is richly deserved.

Ellie Downie was sanguine when asked about stepping up to take that medal clinching vault.

"It was quite nerve-wracking but I could hear the crowd and all the girls get behind me," she said. "I’m so proud of these guys – I love them all so much."

The emotions among the team appeared to be a glorious mixture of delight, disbelief and downright giddy excitement. 

"I think we all knew we had a shot coming into it today,” said Becky Downie. "I tried to just keep the girls as relaxed as we could. After the first mistake on bars, I was like: it is never over until the end. That is what GB is about – we fight for everything."

There was heartwarming scenes seeing the USA and Great Britain teams embrace as the action concluded.

"Everyone puts 100% and their heart into it, but I think we have so much confidence in ourselves and in each other whenever we go out there," said Biles. "Most of the time we just have fun with it, and I think that’s the most important thing."

Tomorrow (Wednesday) will see the men in action with Great Britain contesting the team final alongside Japan, China, Russia and USA.