Max Whitlock: Three-time Olympic gold medallist to come out of retirement for Los Angeles 2028
Whitlock, who will be 35 by the start of the LA Games, took pommel horse gold at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and has three bronze medals – as well as a triumph on the floor.
Yet he now faces a challenge to get back into peak shape and compete against gymnasts who are considerably younger, with the English Championships, the British Championships and the Commonwealth Games all on the horizon next year.
“That’s something that spooks me if I’m really honest because I was pushing it a bit going into Paris in terms of my age,” Whitlock added.
“So you can imagine how much I’m pushing it now. It’s a massive challenge. I’m on a mission. I have 10 times more motivation compared to the build-up for Paris. I had no motivation to learn new skills,” he added.
“It was all about ticking over and staying at that level. Now I’m in the gym, I’m learning new skills and I’m trying to put out some of the biggest routines that I’ve probably ever done.”
