Paris 2024 Olympics: Max Whitlock basks in glow of final Games
For three-time Olympic artistic gymnastics champion, Max Whitlock of Great Britain the sparkle of Olympic magic never dulls.
“I don’t you kind of every get bored when you come out and walk into Olympic stages or anywhere like the Olympic Village, Olympic prep camp anything,” said Whitlock Wednesday (24 July) following his official practice inside Paris 2024’s Bercy Arena. “It’s exactly the same for me. It never gets old.”
A veteran of London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, Whitlock, too, has found an ability to always retain his luster.
The 31-year-old dazzled in training Wednesday on his signature event, the pommel horse, where he will be among the favourites for gold. A win in Paris would give him an unprecedented third straight Olympic title.
It was a welcome sight as Whitlock had missed the Europeans with a minor injury and struggled a pre-Olympic friendly competition held in late June in France where he scored just 10.150, casting doubt on his form.
The Brit admits the road here hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
“We’ve had some hurdles, we’ve had some tricky parts, but that’s pretty standard going into any competition,” said Whitlock. “I’ve had pains coming in, and moments where it’s just been a little tricky and challenging. I had to kind of look at different ways that we can work through things to get to this position today.”
Though Whitlock has been clear that Paris 2024 will be his final championships, he is far from resting on his laurels.
“I think I’ve really tried to kind of not leave any stone unturned as much as I possibly can because when you know it’s your last Olympics, you’ve always got that little edge of motivation,” he said. “Everything that you do counts, and you’re just trying to make sure you tick every single box that you possibly can.
“That’s all I’ve been trying to do.”