In a dramatic twist that has sent ripples through the gymnastics world, Max Whitlock, Britain’s most decorated gymnast and a three-time Olympic gold medalist, has announced he is coming out of retirement with his sights firmly set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The decision marks a remarkable U-turn for the 32-year-old, who had declared that the 2024 Paris Olympics would be his swan song. Yet, after a fourth-place finish on the pommel horse in Paris—a result that left him just outside the medals and gnawing at his competitive spirit—Whitlock realized his journey was far from over.
“I was sitting in the station with my family in a café for a little bit and I said to them, ‘I’m not done, I can’t finish it like that’,” Whitlock told The Times, describing the raw emotion that overcame him on his return to the UK. “It was the raw emotion of getting back to the UK and just feeling like I can’t end it like that. Something just didn’t feel right.”
Whitlock’s sense of ‘unfinished business’ has become the rallying cry of his comeback. “Unfinished is the exact word. My career’s just not complete. It was just really gnawing away at me. I thought: ‘It’s the right time for me to retire but it’s not the right way’,” he explained. His disappointment in Paris was palpable, as he narrowly missed making history as the first gymnast to medal on the same apparatus at four consecutive Olympic Games. “A small mistake cost me in the final and it ended my career in a way that felt strange and difficult,” Whitlock wrote on Instagram. “Fourth place sounds close but feels a million miles away. My family reminded me of the bigger picture and they were right but in that moment it was hard for me to think like that. I felt like I had failed.”
Whitlock’s return is not just about chasing medals—it’s about rewriting the end of a storied career. With six Olympic medals (three golds, three bronzes), three world championship titles, and a legacy as Britain’s first individual Olympic gold medalist in artistic gymnastics, he has little left to prove. Yet, the allure of one last challenge is irresistible. “The opportunity that I have in front of me that will never come around again outweighs every risk of what could happen coming back,” Whitlock said, underscoring his determination to “leave it all on the floor once again.”
The road ahead is steep. By the time the Los Angeles Games roll around, Whitlock will be 35—an age considered long past the peak for most elite gymnasts. “That’s something that spooks me if I’m really honest because 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,” he admitted. The British Gymnastics federation, surprised by his decision, is eager to see how Whitlock will manage his comeback, especially as he plans to expand his competitive repertoire. He’s currently working on new skills for the high bar and parallel bars, in addition to his signature pommel horse, hoping to add even more depth to his routines and perhaps even have a new skill named after him in LA.
Whitlock’s journey back to competition will begin in earnest with the English Championships in February, followed by the British Championships and the Commonwealth Games in Scotland. These events will serve as crucial benchmarks, not only for his readiness but also for his ability to contend with a new generation of gymnasts, including reigning world champion Jake Jarman, who is nine years his junior. “I know I’m setting myself up here for saying only gold will tick the box. But I want to go back in full throttle and just give it a good try,” Whitlock said with characteristic resolve. “I have the opportunity that I can almost basically rewrite the way that my career ended. I’m on a mission. I have ten times more motivation compared to the build-up for Paris.”
Whitlock’s return is not without its physical challenges. He’s candid about the “aches and pains” that come with training at this stage of his life. “I’ve picked up so many aches and pains already,” he joked. “I was sitting on the beam waiting to go on the pommel and I looked at my phone. As I looked up I cricked my neck and I couldn’t move it for about a week and a half, so you could imagine all the comments flooding in from the boys. Aches and pains are going to come and they’re probably going to keep coming. But it’s just something I’ve got to deal with.”
Beyond the medals and the glory, Whitlock’s comeback is also deeply personal. Following his Olympic triumph in Tokyo, he took an 18-month break to address mental health struggles and explore life beyond gymnastics, including entrepreneurial projects and inspiring young athletes in schools. But the call of the sport proved too strong. “Saying I’m a gymnast to me feels so good. And I know that can’t last for ever. I know that. But I like being able to now say I’m a gymnast again. That feels really good,” he reflected.
Family, too, is a driving force. His six-year-old daughter, Willow, was thrilled at the prospect of seeing her dad compete again. “Her reaction was amazing,” Whitlock recalled. “Well, she was well excited for a couple of minutes and then completely forgot about me. I couldn’t have a full-blown conversation with her about it. But she seemed pretty happy. She will be nine in LA, that’s such a brilliant age. A big reason I feel really good about coming back is that whole process of what it’s like building up to an Olympic Games means I can teach her massive life lessons through showing her what I do.”
Whitlock’s story is one of resilience and the relentless pursuit of closure. He’s not chasing records for longevity—though he laughs off the idea of competing at 39 in Brisbane 2032—but is determined to finish his career on his own terms. “Plan A is to get to LA and finish it the way I want to finish it and I’m definitely not thinking beyond that.”
As the countdown to LA28 begins, all eyes will be on Max Whitlock as he embarks on this audacious comeback. The journey promises to be as compelling as any routine he’s ever performed, with every twist and turn watched by fans old and new. For Whitlock, the mission is clear: to chase that elusive sense of completion and to inspire a new generation by showing that sometimes, the greatest victories come not at the height of youth, but in the courage to begin again.
