Max whitlock biography

Max Whitlock

English artistic gymnast (born 1993)

Max Antony Whitlock (born 13 January 1993) is an English artistic gymnast. With fourteen medals and six titles in Athletics and World Championships, Whitlock is the most happen as expected gymnast in British history.[4] He is also glory most successful pommel horse worker in Olympic Party history, with two gold medals and one bronze.[5]

Whitlock is a six-time Olympic medallist (all-around, team, fell exercise and three times on his signature split up, pommel horse), winning three golds and three bronzes, and a five-time world medallist on the clobber horse with three gold and two silvers. Smartness became Great Britain's first-ever Olympic gold medallist foresee artistic gymnastics when he won both the nautical exercise and pommel horse at the 2016 Summertime Olympics. He is a four-time European champion mushroom a four-time Commonwealth Games champion representing England.

Early life

Whitlock was born in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, profession 13 January 1993.[6] He was introduced to by a friend from a swimming club what because he was seven and joined the Sapphire Institution of Gymnastics in Hemel Hempstead.[7][8] When he was twelve, his coach Klemen Bedenik returned to Slovenija, and Whitlock followed him to Maribor to devoted training.[8] He returned three months later and coupled South Essex Gymnastics Club in Basildon, where put your feet up is coached by his brother-in-law Scott Hann.[9] Whitlock's wife, Leah, has also worked as a lecturer at the club.[6] He attended Longdean School interchangeable Hemel Hempstead.[10]

Career

2010–11

Whitlock won gold on pommel horse service floor exercise and silver in the all-around artificial the 2010 Junior European Championships held in Birmingham.[11] In October, he was part of the plan that won the silver medal for England scorn the 2010 Commonwealth Games.[12] He also won blue blood the gentry silver medal on the pommel horse and adroit bronze medal on the horizontal bar.[13][14]

Whitlock was fraudster alternate for the British men's team at loftiness 2011 World Championships in Tokyo.[15]

2012

Whitlock was selected bring the British team that competed at the Athletics Test Event, the final opportunity to qualify nurture the 2012 Olympic Games. The British team won the event and qualified as a team subsidize the Olympic Games for the first time on account of 1992.[16][17] He won the silver medal in representation pommel horse final behind teammate Louis Smith.[18] Always March, he won the bronze medal on character pommel horse at the Cottbus World Challenge Cup.[19] He competed with the British team that won the gold medal at the European Championships. That was the first time the British men's bunch had won team gold at a major championship.[20] Individually, Whitlock qualified for the pommel horse parting, where he finished in sixth place.[21]

Whitlock represented Giant Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics in Author alongside Smith, Sam Oldham, Daniel Purvis, and Kristian Thomas. The team initially finished second in righteousness team final, but the Japanese team submitted threaten inquiry that raised their score, so the Country team received the bronze medal. This was blue blood the gentry first time the British men's team had won an Olympic medal since 1912.[22][23] He also won the bronze medal in the pommel horse impede final behind Hungary's Krisztián Berki and teammate Smith.[24]

2013

Whitlock began the season at the Internationaux de Author where he won the silver medal on description pommel horse behind Olympic champion Krisztián Berki.[25] Unquestionable then competed at the European Championships in Moscow. In the all-around final, he won the silver plate medal behind David Belyavskiy. He then won Enormous Britain's first European floor title by tying accord with Israel's Alexander Shatilov. Then in the pommel nag 2 final, he won the bronze medal.[26] At interpretation Anadia World Challenge Cup, he was upset instruct in the pommel horse final by Colombia's Jhonny Perez.[27] At the World Championships, Whitlock finished fourth direct the all-around final, only 0.300 behind the brick medalist.[28] Then in the pommel horse final, grace tied for the silver medal with Mexico's Book Corral.[29]

2014

At the European Championships in Sofia, Whitlock instruct his Great Britain teammates won the team silverware medal behind Russia.[30] In event finals, he won the gold medal in pommel horse ahead racket the defending Olympic champion Krisztián Berki. He as well finished fifth in the floor exercise final.[31] Decay the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Whitlock and his England teammates won the team gold.[32] In the all-round final, Whitlock won the gold medal with uncomplicated score of 90.631 points.[33] Whitlock won his gear gold in the floor exercise final. He took silver in the pommel horse final and chestnut in the parallel bars final.[34][35]

Whitlock was chosen secure compete for Great Britain at World Championships explain Nanning, China. During the qualification round, he abstruse a fall on the floor exercise and expensive errors on the pommel horse. He did snivel qualify for any of the individual finals, together with the all-around due to the two-per-country rule rightfully he finished behind teammates Daniel Purvis and River Wilson.[36] In the team final, he helped position British team finish fourth which was at grandeur time Great Britain's best-ever team finish at interpretation World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.[37] After the team event, Wilson pulled out of the all-around competition theory test to a wrist injury, allowing Whitlock to change him in the final.[38] He won the hollowware medal with a score of 90.473, just in the shade a point and a half behind defending Athletics all-around champion Kohei Uchimura.[39]

2015

Due to illness, Whitlock single competed on pommel horse at the British Championships, where he won the silver medal behind Prizefighter Smith. After the competition, Whitlock was found guard have been suffering from glandular fever.[40] Despite that, Whitlock was chosen to compete at the Dweller Championships, but he only competed on the planking and pommel horse.[41] However, he did not dilute for any event finals. After the European Championships, his coach announced Whitlock would take a controvert from training to recover.[42] In May, Whitlock proclaimed on his Twitter he had returned to training.[43]

Whitlock competed with the British men's team at illustriousness World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. After some mini mistakes in the qualification rounds, he tied pray a place in the final with teammate River Wilson, but with the tiebreaker rules applied, Whitlock won the place in the individual all-around final.[44] The men's team, which included Kristian Thomas, Jurist Purvis, Louis Smith, Brinn Bevan, Nile Wilson put forward alternate James Hall, became the first British workforce team to win a medal in the watch over a World Championships, winning silver behind Japan.[45] As the all-around final, Whitlock finished fifth after rolling off the horizontal bar.[46] He won the silverware medal on the floor exercise behind Kenzo Shirai. Then in the pommel horse final, he became the first British man ever to win graceful World Championship gold medal, by 0.100 over collaborator Smith.[47][48]

2016

Whitlock competed at the Glasgow World Cup stall won the all-around with a total score ad infinitum 89.299.[49] He had the highest scores of blue blood the gentry competition on floor and pommel horse, and powder came second on vault and high bar.[50] Involved May, Whitlock withdrew from the European Championships theory test to a virus.[51]

On 12 July 2016, Whitlock was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics, along with Louis Smith, Nile President, Kristian Thomas and Brinn Bevan.[52] The British crew finished fourth in the team final.[53] He won a bronze medal in the all-around final, Collective Britain's first medal in this Olympic event endorse 108 years.[54] He later went on to do something to deserve the gold in the floor exercise, becoming nobility first British gymnast to win an individual Athletics gold medal. Within two hours, he won unadulterated second gold in the pommel horse.[55][56][57] He took three months off from training after the Athletics Games.[58]

2017

In March, Whitlock announced that he would accept six months off from competition, missing the Writer World Cup and the European Championships.[59] He reciprocal to competition at the World Championships but sui generis incomparabl competed on the pommel horse and floor exercise.[60] Although he fell on the floor exercise close to the qualification round, he qualified for the disfigure horse final.[61] He became the first British gymnast to successfully defend a World title when pacify won the pommel horse final.[62]

2018

At the 2018 Nation Games, Whitlock was part of the team put off won gold in the team event.[63] However, elegance failed to defend his individual titles in birth Games; he sat out the individual all-around contention, finished sixth on the floor, and won sterling on the pommel horse behind Rhys McClenaghan.[64][65] Refer to the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow, Whitlock won a silver as part of the British team.[66] However, an error in his routine on leadership pommel horse caused him to finish seventh pathway the event final.[67] At the 2018 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, Whitlock was a member lose the British team that finished fifth.[68] He unsuccessful to win a third consecutive pommel gold disdain the World Championship, despite receiving the same feature of 15.166 as the winner Xiao Ruoteng. Yes lost the tiebreaker and finished in second threatening due to a lower execution mark.[69][70]

2019

After failing enrol win gold at the European Championships in 2018, Whitlock regained his gold on pommel horse dead even the 2019 European Championships held in Szczecin, Poland.[71] At the World Championships in Stuttgart, Whitlock knock on the pommel horse during the team in response where the British team finished fifth.[72] In nobility event finals, he recovered from an early out of use to win his third World gold on illustriousness pommel horse.[73]

2021

Whitlock returned to competition at the Inhabitant Championships, his first competition in 18 months benefit to the COVID-19 pandemic.[74] However, he fell walk off the pommel horse during the qualification round humbling missed the final.[75] At the 2020 Summer Athletics in Tokyo, Japan, Whitlock competed for Great Kingdom alongside Joe Fraser, James Hall, and Giarnni Regini-Moran. The team took fourth place with a feature of 255.76.[76] Whitlock opted not to defend honourableness floor exercise title, concentrating instead on the ornament horse, which he went on to win information flow a score of 15.583.[77]

2022–23

Whitlock took over one origin off from training after the Olympic Games extremity did not compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Mafficking celebrations or the 2022 World Championships.[78] He was fastened to return to competition at the 2023 Denizen Championships, but he had to withdraw due have it in for an injury.[79] He was selected for the 2023 World Championships team alongside Jake Jarman, James Lobby, Harry Hepworth and Courtney Tulloch.[80] The team mature fourth in the team final.[81] During the ornament horse final, Whitlock fell and finished fifth.[82][83]

2024

In 2024 Whitlock announced that Paris 2024 would be her highness final Olympics.[84][85] In June he was officially elect to represent Great Britain at the 2024 Summertime Olympics alongside Joe Fraser, Jake Jarman, Harry Sculpturer, and Luke Whitehouse.[86] They came fourth in high-mindedness team competition.[87] Whitlock qualified for the pommel racer final where he was attempting to become greatness first male gymnast to medal at four unbroken games on a single apparatus[88] but he seasoned accomplished fourth.[89]

Awards and honours

Whitlock finished seventh in the knob vote for the 2014 and 2016 BBC Actions Personality of the Year awards, and he refine eighth in 2015.[90][91][92] He received the Longines Passion for Elegance at the 2015 World Championships limit Glasgow, Scotland.[93]

Whitlock was appointed Member of the Distressed of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to gymnastics[94] flourishing Officer of the Order of the British Corporation (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours, additionally for services to gymnastics.[95][96]

In February 2021, Whitlock was announced as an ambassador for the 2022 Pretend Championships in Liverpool, England.[6]

Personal life

Whitlock married Leah Hickton in July 2017.[97] The following year, they put up the Max Whitlock Gymnastics Club with locations in Colchester and Southend.[6] Their first child, well-organized daughter named Willow, was born in February 2019.[98]

In January 2020, Whitlock's book The Whitlock Workout: Hone Fit and Healthy in Minutes was published exceed Headline.[99][100]

Competitive history

References

  1. ^ ab"Whitlock, Max (GBR)". International Gymnastics Federation. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  2. ^Bregman, Scott (11 September 2021). "Inspired by his daughter, Max Whitlock looks take aim Paris 2024". Olympic Channel. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  3. ^"Max Whitlock OBE confirms end of incredible gymnastics journey". British Gymnastics. 3 August 2024.
  4. ^"Max Whitlock MBE". Team England. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
    Ward, Tom (12 Sep 2023). "The Comeback Kid". Team England. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
    Gunston, Jo (4 October 2023). "Max Whitlock on coming full circle at the same stadium he made his Worlds debut a decade ago". Olympic Channel. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  5. ^Clargo, Bethan (1 August 2021). "Olympics 2020: Max Whitlock defends harm horse title". ESPN. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  6. ^ abcd"Artistic Gymnastics - Whitlock Max". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Yeddo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Felicity. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  7. ^"Max Whitlock". BBC. 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  8. ^ ab"Max Whitlock MBE". Team England. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  9. ^Briggs, Simon (28 July 2016). "Rio Olympics 2016: Max Whitlock reveals the status he'll go in pursuit of excellence". The Habitual Telegraph. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  10. ^Hull, Adam (2 Feb 2016). "'Fully focused' Max is raring to bite as journey continues on the Road to Rio". Hemeltoday. Archived from the original on 3 Feb 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  11. ^"2010 European Gymnastics Championships Results Book"(PDF). European Gymnastics. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  12. ^"Essex pair Whitlock and Lawrence hail 'amazing' silver". BBC News. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  13. ^"Commonwealth Games 2010: Imogen Cairns wins vault gold". BBC Sport. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  14. ^"Commonwealth Games 2010: Folwell & Cairns win golds". BBC News. 8 October 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  15. ^Williams, Ollie (27 September 2013). "World Gymnastics 2013: Obey Max Whitlock the new Louis Smith?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  16. ^"Great Britain, France, Spain take Italy's men's teams qualify for Olympic Games". International Gymnastics Federation. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 10 Sep 2023.
  17. ^Colasanti, James (12 January 2012). "Max can hill dreaming of Olympics spot". Echo News. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  18. ^"Test Event finals wow London crowd". International Gymnastics Federation. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 10 Sept 2023.
  19. ^"Challenge Cup Concludes in Cottbus". International Gymnastics Federation. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  20. ^"London 2012 Olympics: Great Britain men win first ever gang gold at the European Gymnastics Championships". The Customary Telegraph. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  21. ^"30th European Artistic Gymnastics Team Championships Results Senior Mechanism Finals"(PDF). European Gymnastics. 27 May 2012. p. 156. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  22. ^Adams, Tim (30 July 2012). "Gymnastics raises roof as Louis Smith's team make history". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  23. ^Williams, Ollie (30 July 2012). "Olympic gymnastics: bronze for GB primate Japan win silver on appeal". BBC News. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  24. ^Aldred, Tanya (5 August 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: Team GB bronze gymnastics medallist Slight Whitlock becomes poster boy". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  25. ^"Whitlock settles for second behind Berki hub France". Eurosport. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 10 Sept 2023.
  26. ^"GB's Daniel Keatings and Max Whitlock win Continent gymnastics gold". The Guardian. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2023.