In a dramatic reversal of his retirement plans, Team GB gymnastics icon Max Whitlock has declared he is returning to the sport with his sights set on Olympic glory at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
The three-time Olympic champion, who is 32, had previously stated that the Paris 2024 Olympics would be his final competition. However, the sting of finishing fourth in the pommel horse final in the French capital proved too much to bear, compelling the decorated athlete to reconsider his future.
The Moment That Changed Everything
Whitlock has revealed that the decision was born from raw emotion in the immediate aftermath of his Paris performance. Speaking to The Times, he described a pivotal moment at a café with his family upon returning to the UK.
'I said to them, "I’m not done, I can’t finish it like that", Whitlock recounted. He described the feeling as 'unfinished', stating that his career felt incomplete and the fourth-place result was 'gnawing away at me'.
He elaborated, 'I thought, "It’s the right time for me to retire but it’s not the right way"'. Acknowledging the challenge ahead, Whitlock admitted, 'I was pushing it a bit going into Paris in terms of my age. So you can imagine how much I’m pushing it now. It’s a massive challenge'.
A New Mission for LA 2028
By the time the Los Angeles Olympics commence, Whitlock will be 35 years old. Undeterred, he says he is now 'on a mission' to 'rewrite the end of my career' by winning another gold medal.
This ambitious comeback will see him expanding his repertoire. In a bid to add to his impressive tally of six Olympic medals, Whitlock is developing new skills for three different pieces of apparatus. Alongside his signature pommel horse discipline, he will also be training on the high bar and parallel bars.
The announcement reportedly came as a surprise to British Gymnastics, the sport's governing body in the UK. According to The Times, the organisation is keen to understand how the veteran gymnast plans to manage his return to elite competition.
The Road Back to the Olympics
Whitlock's comeback trail is already mapped out. He is scheduled to make his competitive return at the English Championships in February. This will be followed by appearances at the British Championships and the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
His return was subtly teased on his Instagram, where he reflected on the Paris outcome. 'A small mistake cost me in the final and it ended my career in a way that felt strange and difficult', he wrote. 'Fourth place sounds close but feels a million miles away... I felt like I had failed. That feeling is still there but what’s important is what you do next'.
In Paris, Whitlock had aimed to make history by becoming the first gymnast ever to win a medal on one piece of apparatus at three separate Olympic Games in the pommel horse event. Falling short of that goal has now fuelled his drive for a final, golden chapter in Los Angeles.
