IMOGEN Cairns revealed she was planning to retire after these Commonwealth Games – but a sparkling silver medal has got her thinking again.

Cairns, 21, scooped vault gold and team silver in Melbourne four years ago, but has barely competed since making her Olympic debut at Beijing 2008.

But after 15 months on the sidelines with serious injuries to both her feet, Cairns provided the experience a youthful English quartet needed to claim second place in the team event, behind favourites Australia and just fractions ahead of Canada.

"I've put all my focus into just getting back to fitness again and being here and I really thought this would be my last competition before I retire," she said.

"But everything goes so fast and maybe I might need to think again because I think I proved that I still have it.

"I will focus on this competition first and then have another think about it."

Britain's top gymnasts might be prioritising the forthcoming World Championships but Cairns insisted she wouldn't have swapped the chance of helping teens Charlotte Lindsley, Laura Edwards and Jocelyn Hunt to the podium

"I'm just so proud of the team. Two of them have never been on the podium before and they really coped with all the pressure," she added.

"I've never competed in such a big area before, so it must have been very daunting for them because I was so nervous.

"We know this is the B team because our top gymnasts are going to the world and we're only England as well. That shows the strength in depth there is in British Gymnastics and that's really exciting.

"Australia brought their best gymnasts here so it was always going to be really tough to beat them. We didn't have any expectations and we're just so pleased with winning the silver."

Cairns also qualified to the all-around final with the third best score and produced impressive apparatus scores in both the vault and floor.

And with the prospect of potentially more medals to come, coach Elizabeth Kincaid was delighted for her charge.

"It was great to see Imogen's performance, she really held this young team together," she said.

"Some of her scores there could really challenge worldwide and after a very difficult time she certainly deserves it."