‘The lack of targets I really struggled with’
Max Whitlock has already thrown himself into his next project after his final routine as a gymnast in Paris.
The six-time Olympic medallist became a household name in Britain at the London 2012 Olympics when the then 19-year-old was a part of the Great Britain team who won the bronze medal in the all-around team final.
It signified the first men’s gymnastics medal at an Olympic Games for 100 years. For Whitlock, it is still one of the highlights of his career. He spoke to JOE from the Adidas house in Paris: “I’d always dreamt of making the Olympic team and deep down, really dreamt of the slim possibility of winning an Olympic medal, but I didn’t know if it would ever be possible.”
He went on to become the most successful pommel horse gymnast in Olympic history, winning two gold medals and one bronze.
After the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Whitlock initially retired from the sport but he ended up in a battle with his mental health.
“I made the rash decision after Tokyo that I was going to stop then and I was adamant that I was done with the sport. I experienced a period of time of what that would be like and I really struggled. Coming back to the sport gave me a chance to fully prepare for stopping after Paris.
“It taught me a lot of lessons in terms of what I need when I’m done, and I think for me that’s targets. The lack of targets, I really struggled with. So, I need a strong goal or target I’m working towards, that I can see a clear pathway to.”
Now Whitlock is focused on continuing his legacy of inspiring the next generation of gymnasts, something which he hopes everyone will ‘hold him accountable for’.
“As I was building to Paris, my mission was also to build everything I’m doing outside of sport,” he said.
“I feel very lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to be here in Paris but alongside it, I’ve had the opportunity to try and help the grassroots of the sport and I think that’s where I’ve found my passion.”
As a competitor, the 31-year-old, who set up his own gymnastics club back in 2018 with his wife Leah, thrived on pressure and he has taken that pressure into retirement.
“I feel like all the messages I’m getting on social media now, everyone that I’ve talked to talks about the impact I’ve had, that’s a huge honour and I don’t really kind of fully understand that because I feel like I’ve been in a bubble and not really seen the impact it’s had to a certain extent, but I kind of want to expand on it massively and see what difference I can make.
“I feel I’m one of the lucky ones that found my sport at seven years old and if I didn’t, I don’t know what journey I’d be on right now. Sport and gymnastics opened so many doors for me.
“I want to provide not just the inspiration from children seeing me and feeling inspired, I want to provide the vehicle for them to actually be inspired and take gymnastics up as a starting sport. I think for me, fast forward 10, 20, 30 years’ time, I want to have impacted hundreds of 1000s of children. And that’s my thing that I want everybody to hold me accountable for.”
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Whitlock finished fourth in the pommel horse final after his team also finished fourth in the all-around final days before.
Before qualification, the realisation of this being Whitlock’s final Olympic Games hit and ahead of qualification for the final, he was overwhelmed with emotion.
“That was something I didn’t expect, it was a lot more emotional than I thought it would be. Scott, my coach lined me up ready to start the warmup in the back and I struggled to control my emotions. That was something I didn’t really know how to deal with.
“But when it came to my final routine, I was almost just really zoned in, I had a job to do. Now it’s kind of hit me a little bit that I’m now no longer a gymnast.”
He had hoped to medal at his fourth Olympic Games in Paris but what was more important was that his five-year-old daughter Willow got to see him compete.
“It’s probably one of the proudest moments for me in this whole experience that I managed to give Willow that opportunity.
“What’s amazing about having children is it puts life into perspective. Willow just came and gave me a massive hug, more than anything she was just happy to see me, I’ve been away for a long time. She almost seems proud of me whatever I do and that’s a really good feeling.”
