British Gymnastics Championships 2024: Max Whitlock's journey toward Olympic history is a step-by-step affair
Zebras, rhinos, giraffes, tigers... Max Whitlock's World Gymnastics Championships in 2023 looked a little different than his competitors.
With his then four-year-old daughter, Willow, along for the ride, and with wife Leah, the Antwerp zoo was always going to be a scheduled stop.
But Whitlock had work to do first.
Ever since announcing his return to the sport in February 2023, following a lengthy period out in which he struggled with motivation, Whitlock was eyeing the championships in Belgium as one of the big steps on his return to artistic gymnastics.
Not just returning but eyeing a fourth Games, at Paris 2024, in which he could potentially make Olympic history. Should Whitlock claim a fourth medal on the pommel horse, his specialist apparatus, he'll become the first Olympic gymnast ever to claim four medals on the same piece.
But there's steps to be taken, selection criteria to meet, and confidence to build first, with even qualifying for an Olympic Games a feat in itself.
Something Whitlock, who has competed at London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, knows only too well.
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As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
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Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.
Max Whitlock taking it one routine at a time
The first stage at the 2023 World Championships in Belgium saw the rollercoaster begin.
Whitlock, a three-time World champion on pommel horse, was the top qualifier, beating the likes of Lee Chih Kai of Chinese Taipei, second to the Brit in Tokyo, and defending champion competing for Ireland, Rhys McClenaghan.
In the final though, gymnastics happened.
Whitlock's hand slipped toward the end of the jeopardous apparatus, and he fell, leaving him in fifth.
Despite being disappointed, the experienced campaigner had key takeaways.
“The positives are I have been out for a very long time from the sport, it’s very hard to come back, I do have that expectancy constantly on my shoulders," said Whitlock who first competed at the World Championships at the same arena a decade before.
"It was one mistake throughout the world championships for me," he said alluding to the addition of parallel bars and high bar in this Olympic cycle. "So overall I can be pretty pleased, to a certain extent. I suppose I’m a bit hard on myself.”
The 2023 competition season ended. It was time to regroup.
Max Whitlock heads into the 2024 season
The first competition of 2024 was the English Championships in Telford, the regular season opener, and a place for gymnasts to dip their toes back in competitive waters.
Back on form, Whitlock secured top spot on the pommel horse ahead of Joe Fraser the 2021 European bronze medallist on the apparatus. He also secured second place on parallel bars, behind the 2019 world champion on the apparatus, that man Fraser.
The next competition on the road to the XXXIII Olympiad, the British Gymnastics Championships, taking place in Liverpool from 16-17 March, is one of the official selection competitions for British Gymnastics for the five-person teams that will compete in the Bercy Arena from 27 July to 5 August.
The European Championships then follows, in Rimini, Italy, with the men's competition taking place from 24-28 April, and the women's from 2-5 May.
Just two months before the Games begin, the continental championships is the final chance for a gymnast to showcase their form, imploring the National Olympic Committees to 'pick me, pick me'.
The process is not a new one for Whitlock who has been one of the faces of the Olympics for Team GB since London 2012 where he won two medals – bronze in the men's team and pommel horse – aged just 19.
Three record-breaking medals followed in Rio, gold on floor and pommel horse, and bronze in the all-around.
The Games in Japan were a challenging affair due to fans, friends and family being absent due to COVID-19, but Paris 2024 will see the return of the crowds.
Whitlock is hoping to be there so that this time, his recently turned five-year-old daughter can see her daddy compete at an Olympic Games, and potentially make history.
After that, maybe a trip to Le Parc Zoologique de Paris to celebrate.