Rhythmic gymnastics – Whitlock says consulting Wikipedia helped him return to fourth Olympics

PARIS: It took a lot for Britain’s Max Whitlock to return to gymnastics after a long and difficult break following the Tokyo Olympics, and checking Wikipedia to see what history he could make at the Paris Olympics was one of them.

The three-time Olympic champion was away from competition for 18 months after the Tokyo Olympics due to mental health issues and only returned to competition early last year.

Now he says the pressure is manageable, he feels in control and is excited to be competing in his fourth consecutive Olympics.

“I almost stopped gymnastics training in Tokyo. Now I feel very grateful to achieve this result here,” he told reporters on Wednesday after training at the Bercy Stadium, where the rhythmic gymnastics competition kicks off on Saturday.

“It was my choice to come back here,” he said.

The 31-year-old said returning to the gym was a major factor in helping him get over a difficult period, and also gave him the knowledge that he could break the Olympic record with a fourth medal.

If the British athlete finishes on the pommel horse, he could become the first gymnast (male or female) in history to win four Olympic medals on the same apparatus.

“I actually went to Wikipedia several times just to make sure,” he said.

“When I was in that period where I didn’t want to come back … I looked up to them because for me, every little bit of progress, every little bit of motivation, whatever it is, helps — it’s an opportunity to make history and go for it.”

Whitlock won pommel horse titles at the Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo Olympics and took bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.

He said the games, which were held without spectators three years ago because of the pandemic, were now being watched in the stands by his five-year-old daughter (a budding competitive gymnast herself) and other family members, adding to the fun.

“They were really excited… I think everyone was looking at everything more closely because it was my last photo. It felt like you were trying to capture those tiny moments and trying to take it all in.”

The rhythmic gymnastics competition will be held from July 27 to August 5.

(Editing by Christian Radnedge)