How huge risk can yield historic reward for Team GB gymnast Max Whitlock at Paris Olympics

Interview: The most difficult routine of all will lead to gold – if the pommel horse superstar can pull it off

Max Whitlock will look to add to his Olympic medal collection in Paris (Getty)

Max Whitlock will be checking the record books as much as the rest of us at Paris 2024.

The best pommel horse worker of all time, Whitlock can become the first gymnast in history to win four consecutive medals on the same apparatus.

Whitlock is already Britain’s best-ever gymnast by a distance and he’s not afraid to tap into the motivation of making history in the French capital.

“I don’t shy away from that stuff anymore,” he says. “When I was younger, I never used to think about medals or results and where you stand in history. Now I’ve learned how important it is to grab motivation from everywhere you possibly can. Making history is one of those and I would love to give myself the opportunity to do that.”

In pursuit of immortality, the 30-year-old has built a fiendish routine that will have a much higher difficulty score than any of his rivals.

It is shorter than his Tokyo routine, packed with pitfalls and difficult combinations, with a tariff so high he knows that, if he completes it, he is certain to win a fourth Olympic gold.

Max Whitlock has a total of six Olympic medals and is looking to win a seventh in the upcoming games (PA)

“Since I was a youngster, I’ve always wanted to increase my difficulty level every time I come back to a major competition,” he explains. “I have that fire in my belly, that feeling of being inspired and trying to do more.

“I’ve never wanted to go back to the same routine, I’ve always tried to increase the difficulty every single time for 24 years. All I need to do is focus on me, I don’t need to compete against anyone else or worry about what they’re doing.

“It’s not a running race. Do my job, and I have the potential to win titles.”

Whitlock obsesses over the routine, completing it hundreds of times each week in training at South Essex Gymnastics Club.

On the road to his fourth Olympics, rarified air in such a physically demanding sport, Whitlock has adapted his training intensity.

“When I’m in the gym, I try to be as efficient as I possibly can be,” says Whitlock. “It’s not so much the routine numbers for me as repetition of the skills.

“I’m doing hundreds and hundreds of multiples but as I’ve got older, I don’t do as much as I used to! I’ve tapered off in terms of hours and become smarter with my workload.”

Whitlock is the greatest pommel horse worker of all time (Getty)

A lot has changed in Whitlock’s life and career, but one thing has stayed the same – the support of Aldi. The Team GB legend has worked with the supermarket for the past four years and will do so once again through the Paris Games.

“I feel very fortunate to have this relationship with Aldi,” said Whitlock. “I’ve had a lot of fun filming their TV adverts and I would never have got those opportunities otherwise. I work with a lot of different brands, but Aldi has been one that has stood out as a lot of fun along this journey.”

During that time Whitlock’s motivation has shifted dramatically, with Paris set to be the first Games where wife Leah and daughter Willow can watch him compete. He describes long-time coach Scott Hann as a “member of the family”, as their partnership stretches beyond a decade.

“My relationship with Scott has evolved a lot over the years,” reveals Whitlock. “As a youngster, the coach almost determines the programme and the plan but there must become a point where that almost merges and switches as you mature.

“Scott and I have adapted and embraced that, and that can be hard for coaches and athletes. We’re a close-knit team, he’s part of the family and I can strongly say that I wouldn’t have got the results I have if it weren’t for Scott.”

Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024