MAX Whitlock made history by becoming the first man to win World Gymnastics Championships gold for Great Britain.

Whitlock held off the challenge of team-mate Louis Smith on pommel horse, who had to settle for silver at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. Both posted in excess of the 16-point barrier – with only 0.1 separating the duo.

Ending a 112-year wait for Britain’s first men’s gold medallist, Whitlock's triumph marks yet another major milestone in in the country's stratospheric rise through the global gymnastics ranks.

Until these championships, the now retired Beth Tweddle was the only British gymnast to achieve world champion status, having taken gold twice on asymmetric bars and once on floor.

In just a few years, Britain's elite performers have gone from plucky underdogs to pushing for domination on a world stage.

Whitlock, 22, from Hemel Hempstead, looked one part elated, two parts incredulous at his achievement.

“That was brilliant,” he said. “To be honest, I can’t believe it. This whole week has been historic. Team GB are in a very good place and have a lot of confidence going into next year."

Whitlock added: “Louis couldn’t be happier for me. That is what our sport is like. We support each other. Louis did a brilliant job – the whole team have this week – and everyone is over the moon.

“It feels amazing. It has been a lot of hard work and the journey to this competition has been very long. I’m happy to go out there, perform on that stage and pull it off under pressure.”

Harutyun Merdinyan (Armenia) and Kazuma Kaya (Japan) tied for bronze with 15.500 apiece.

Amid all the excitement, another stellar achievement by Whitlock could be easily overlooked with Great Britain’s hero of the hour also claiming silver in his first world floor final.

Only Kenzo Shirai of Japan was superior, producing his eponymous quadruple twist as part of an overall sublime performance to score a huge 16.233 and win gold.

Putting the disappointment of his fall on high bar in Friday’s all-around final behind him, Whitlock produced a high difficulty and polished routine to post 15.566.

Rayderley Miguel Zapata Santana (Spain) took bronze with 15.200. Scotland’s Daniel Purvis, with a solid routine, finished in fifth.

One has to give some credit to Smith. The 26-year-old European champion previously won a world silver and two bronze on pommel horse and it was his monumental achievement of claiming bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing that was arguably a key catalyst for current British success.

Smith said that his overwhelming emotion yesterday afternoon was relief. Having battled illness in recent days, he was clearly delighted to come away with a medal at all. He also admitted he is still playing catch-up following his two-year break after winning silver at London 2012.

“It has been an effort,” he said. “I’m only here really to do pommels. People might think that is a small job, but it's quite intense to come here and have everything resting on one apparatus. I’m pleased I performed for the team and individually I’m pleased I got through my routines.

“To get to the end of the competition with a silver medal is unbelievable. It is hard not to be pleased. Don’t get me wrong, I would love a gold but I have been training with the boys very closely for the last four weeks in Lilleshall and you see how much effort everyone is putting in.”

In the women's vault Maria Paseka (Russia) upstaged favourite Simone Biles (USA) to claim gold.

Eleftherios Petrounias (Greece) won the rings final while asymmetric bars ended in the unusual situation of four women tying in first place with Fan Yilin (China), Viktoria Komova (Russia), Daria Spiridonova (Russia) and Madison Kocian (USA) all sharing the top spot on the podium.