DOHA (Qatar): With memories of past Olympic glory still fresh in his mind, Great Britain’s Rio 2016 Floor Exercise and Pommel Horse champion Max Whitlock has now turned his attention on Tokyo Games and beyond.
“Winning another Olympic gold is a big goal,” Whitlock told FIG. “Titles are a huge motivation of mine, but ahead of a competition, I really try not to think about medals too much. My goal is to do my routine the best I can.”
A young competitor who was not expected to produce any “measurable results” at his first Olympic Games in London, Whitlock exceeded expectations.
He helped the British team earn a historic team bronze medal and added individual bronze for himself on the Pommel Horse.
During the next four years, he continued to learn what made himself tick, all the while posting some of the best results British gymnastics had ever seen.
“It really makes me feel like if I can compete like I did in London 2012, the most pressure-filled environment that we could ask for, I can hopefully do it anywhere,” he added.
At the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow, Whitlock became the first British man to win a World title, once again on the Pommel Horse, the culmination of years of dedicated work and a smart plan devised with his coaches post-London.
“I knew where I wanted to be, and I trained relentlessly to get there,” said Whitlock.
He currently trains 20-25 hours a week, well down from what he did as a younger man, preserving his strength for the moments that matter most.
World titles on Pommel Horse in 2017 and 2019, World silver in 2018, Whitlock has reigned over the quadrennium.
Tokyo remains an open question with rivals, notably 2019 World bronze medallist Rhys McClenaghan (Ireland) have emerged bearing open challenges, but Whitlock is confident of his ability to remain on top.
“I’ve always kind of not worried about what others were doing because I can’t control it,” he said. “If I go there and do my best job, my cleanest routine that I can do, obviously hopefully that comes out with a title. If it doesn’t, then I can’t not be happy with my job if I’ve done my best.”
