GYMNASTICS: It's back to reality for Patrick Rudd who returned to school this week after spending much of the holidays in the United States.

The local gymnast was in Las Vegas representing the country as a part of the Australian Men's Artistic Gymnastics Levels Team at the 2017 Vitaly Scherbo Invitational.

Rudd competed both individually and as a part of the Level 10 team which, under the guidance of coach Martin Shields, placed fifth overall.

The competition was held over an unusually long six hour event, but Rudd said given he was recently injured he performed better than he expected.

"I placed 14th overall and fourth in the individual apparatus and on the PBars,” he said.

"I tore two tendons so I was off for a good period of time. I only got two trainings in on the floor before I left.

"They compete a lot differently in the US and they have different rules to us... I didn't have too much stress on myself, I went over there to enjoy the comp.”