Max Whitlock is back in gymnastics, and this time, the British legend says he is back with no doubts and no regrets. The three-time Olympic champion has officially begun his comeback journey with his sights firmly set on the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

The 33-year-old pommel horse specialist confirmed his return to international competition and is now fully focused on building toward the next Olympic cycle.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Whitlock said, "It was after I realized I had more to give to the sport,” Whitlock said of the decision. “It’s incredible to be back. It feels amazing to be able to say that I’m a gymnast again; I’m an athlete."

Whitlock retired after the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he finished fourth in the pommel horse final. It was a tough end for one of Britain’s most decorated gymnasts.

Now, as LA 2028 draws closer, Whitlock feels there is still unfinished business to attend to. “I couldn’t fight the feeling that something was just constantly itching out of me and just almost thinking, 'There's more I could do,'" he said.

The British star also stated that the Los Angeles Olympics would almost certainly be the final stop of his decorated career. By then, Whitlock will be 35, an age rarely seen among elite men’s artistic gymnasts at the Olympics.

“We’ve got just over two years in LA; that’s my end goal,” Whitlock said. “And trust me, I will be done after LA.”

“I didn’t have to sell my family on the comeback,” Whitlock said. He felt that those closest to him already sensed the void retirement had left in his life.

“My wife is mega excited for me to be back,” he said. “My whole family, everyone’s excited about it.” He is determined to take his signature event to heights never before reached.

Paris Disappointment Played a Big Role in the Return of Max Whitlock

Whitlock admitted the way his Olympic career came to a halt in Paris lingered longer than he expected.

With bronzes in London, two golds at Rio, and a pommel horse gold at Tokyo, he reached Paris for more. But he walked away with no medals. That outcome was a key factor in his comeback.

“I started to think, ‘Am I going to regret retiring too soon if I don’t try one more time to go for the Olympics?'" the veteran gymnast said.

Now, Whitlock is already looking ahead to the next World Championships and Commonwealth Games as he rebuilds for Los Angeles. And after months away, the Olympic champion says he feels ‘massively fired up’ to compete again.

So, while the chances of Whitlock's participation in the 2028 LA Olympics are looking pretty bright, do you think he will be able to bag another medal for the UK?

Read more at the Gymnastics Digest

Written by

Chitrak Mukherjee

Edited by

Souvik Roy