Max Whitlock, Three-time Olympic Champion, to Retire After Paris 2024

Three-time Olympic gold medallist Max Whitlock has announced his retirement from gymnastics after the Paris 2024 Games. The 31-year-old, who is Britain’s most successful gymnast with 32 major international medals, will be aiming to become the first gymnast to win four Olympic medals on the same apparatus if he adds to his two golds and a bronze on the pommel horse this summer.

Whitlock expressed his feelings about his decision to retire, stating, “This decision now feels right. Going for my final Olympic Games, it feels very, very strange talking about it and it’s almost hard to articulate what it’s like. It’s a really nice mindset to be in, to think I’ll just give it all I’ve got.”

The journey of Whitlock’s Olympic career began at London 2012, where he claimed bronze in the pommel horse and helped Great Britain finish third in the team event. He went on to win bronze at Rio 2016 in the all-around event and became Britain’s first individual Olympic gold medallist in artistic gymnastics with victories in the floor and pommel horse events.

Whitlock’s motivation for competing in Paris 2024 comes from wanting his five-year-old daughter Willow to watch him compete at an Olympics. After no international fans were allowed in Tokyo in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Whitlock is looking forward to having Willow in the crowd to support him.

The upcoming European Championships in Italy at the end of April will be Whitlock’s next competition before the British Olympic gymnastics squad is announced in June. The Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place between 26 July and 11 August, where Whitlock will aim to end his illustrious career on a high note.