Max Whitlock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Max Whitlock OBE
Whitlock in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Max Antony Whitlock
Nickname(s)	Maxi
Country represented	Great Britain  England
Born	(1993-01-13) 13 January 1993 (age 32) Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England
Spouse	Leah Hickton (m. 2017)
Height	167 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team	2010–2024 (GBR)
Club	South Essex Gymnastics Club
Head coach(es)	Scott Hann
Retired	3 August 2024
Medal record Men's artistic gymnastics Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 0 3 World Championships 3 5 0 European Championships 4 3 1 Commonwealth Games 4 4 2 Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Floor exercise Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Pommel horse Gold 2020 Tokyo Pommel horse Bronze 2012 London Team Bronze 2012 London Pommel horse Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro All-around World Championships Gold 2015 Glasgow Pommel horse Gold 2017 Montreal Pommel horse Gold 2019 Stuttgart Pommel horse Silver 2013 Antwerp Pommel horse Silver 2014 Nanning All-around Silver 2015 Glasgow Team Silver 2015 Glasgow Floor exercise Silver 2018 Doha Pommel horse European Championships Gold 2012 Montpellier Team Gold 2013 Moscow Floor exercise Gold 2014 Sofia Pommel horse Gold 2019 Szczecin Pommel horse Silver 2013 Moscow All-around Silver 2014 Sofia Team Silver 2018 Glasgow Team Bronze 2013 Moscow Pommel horse Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 2014 Glasgow Team Gold 2014 Glasgow All-around Gold 2014 Glasgow Floor exercise Gold 2018 Gold Coast Team Silver 2010 Delhi Team Silver 2010 Delhi Pommel horse Silver 2014 Glasgow Pommel horse Silver 2018 Gold Coast Pommel horse Bronze 2010 Delhi Horizontal bar Bronze 2014 Glasgow Parallel bars FIG World Cup Event 1st 2nd 3rd All-Around World Cup 1 0 0 World Cup 0 1 0 World Challenge Cup 0 1 1
Awards	Longines Prize for Elegance (2015)

Max Antony Whitlock, born on January 13, 1993, is a famous English artistic gymnast. He is known as the most successful British gymnast ever. Max has won many medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships.

He is especially good on the pommel horse, winning two gold medals and one bronze at the Olympics. Max has won six Olympic medals in total, including three golds and three bronzes. These medals were for different events like the all-around, team, floor exercise, and his best event, the pommel horse.

Max Whitlock became Great Britain's first-ever Olympic gold medalist in artistic gymnastics. This happened when he won both the floor exercise and pommel horse at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He has also won four European titles and four Commonwealth Games titles while representing England.

Max Whitlock's Early Life

Max Whitlock was born in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. This was on January 13, 1993. He started gymnastics when he was seven years old. A friend from his swimming club introduced him to the sport.

He joined the Sapphire School of Gymnastics in Hemel Hempstead. When Max was twelve, his coach moved back to Slovenia. Max followed him for three months to keep training. Later, he joined the South Essex Gymnastics Club in Basildon. His brother-in-law, Scott Hann, became his coach there. Max's wife, Leah, has also worked as a coach at the club.

Max Whitlock's Gymnastics Career

Starting His Senior Career (2010–2011)

Max Whitlock won gold medals on the pommel horse and floor exercise at the 2010 Junior European Championships. He also earned a silver medal in the all-around event. In October 2010, he helped the England team win a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He also won a silver medal on the pommel horse and a bronze on the horizontal bar.

Max was a backup for the British men's team at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo.

Olympic Debut and Team Success (2012)

Max Whitlock was part of the British team at the Olympic Test Event. This event was the last chance to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games. The British team won the event and qualified for the Olympics as a team for the first time since 1992. Max won a silver medal on the pommel horse at this event.

In March, he won a bronze medal on the pommel horse at the Cottbus World Challenge Cup. He then competed with the British team that won gold at the European Championships. This was the first time the British men's team had won a team gold at a major championship.

Max represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The team won a bronze medal in the team final. This was the first Olympic medal for the British men's team since 1912. Max also won a bronze medal in the pommel horse event.

World and European Medals (2013–2014)

In 2013, Max won a silver medal on the pommel horse at the Internationaux de France. At the European Championships in Moscow, he won a silver medal in the all-around. He also won Great Britain's first European floor title. In the pommel horse final, he earned a bronze medal.

At the World Championships, Max finished fourth in the all-around. He then tied for a silver medal on the pommel horse.

In 2014, at the European Championships in Sofia, Max and his team won a silver medal. He won a gold medal in the pommel horse final. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Max and his England teammates won team gold. He also won gold in the all-around and floor exercise. He took silver on the pommel horse and bronze on the parallel bars.

At the World Championships in Nanning, China, Max helped the British team finish fourth. This was Great Britain's best team finish at the World Championships at that time. He also won a silver medal in the all-around competition.

First World Gold and Olympic Glory (2015–2016)

In 2015, Max Whitlock competed at the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. The British men's team won a silver medal, which was a historic achievement. Max won a silver medal on the floor exercise. Then, he became the first British man to win a World Championship gold medal on the pommel horse.

In 2016, Max won the all-around at the Glasgow World Cup. On July 12, 2016, he was chosen to represent Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics. The British team finished fourth in the team final. Max won a bronze medal in the all-around final. This was Great Britain's first medal in this Olympic event in 108 years.

He then made history by winning gold in the floor exercise. This made him the first British gymnast to win an individual Olympic gold medal. Within two hours, he won a second gold medal on the pommel horse.

Continuing Success (2017–2019)

In 2017, Max returned to competition at the World Championships. He became the first British gymnast to successfully defend a World title by winning the pommel horse final again.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Max was part of the team that won gold. He won a silver medal on the pommel horse. At the 2018 European Championships, Max won a silver medal with the British team. At the 2018 World Championships, he won a silver medal on the pommel horse.

In 2019, Max won gold on the pommel horse at the European Championships. At the World Championships in Stuttgart, he won his third World gold medal on the pommel horse.

Tokyo Olympics and Retirement (2021–2024)

In 2021, Max competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The team finished fourth. Max chose not to defend his floor exercise title. He focused on the pommel horse, which he won, earning another gold medal.

After the Tokyo Olympics, Max took a break from training. He did not compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games or the 2022 World Championships. Instead, he joined the BBC's coverage of the gymnastics events. He was selected for the 2023 World Championships team, where the team finished fourth. Max finished fifth in the pommel horse final.

In 2024, Max announced that the Paris 2024 would be his last Olympics. He was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The team finished fourth. Max qualified for the pommel horse final, where he finished fourth. He retired from gymnastics on August 3, 2024.

Awards and Honours

Max Whitlock has received several awards and honours for his achievements. He finished seventh in the public vote for the 2014 and 2016 BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards. He also finished eighth in 2015. He received the Longines Prize for Elegance at the 2015 World Championships.

Max was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2017 for his services to gymnastics. He was then made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2022, also for his services to gymnastics. In February 2021, Max was announced as an ambassador for the 2022 World Championships in Liverpool, England.

Max Whitlock's Personal Life

Max Whitlock married Leah Hickton in July 2017. The next year, they started the Max Whitlock Gymnastics Club. This club has locations in Colchester and Southend. Their daughter, Willow, was born in February 2019. In January 2020, Max's book The Whitlock Workout: Get Fit and Healthy in Minutes was published.

Competitive History

Competitive history of Max Whitlock

Year	Event	Team	AA	FX	PH	SR	VT	PB	HB
2010
	Junior European Championships					6
	Commonwealth Games		4
2012	Olympic Test Event		23
	Cottbus World Challenge Cup
	European Championships		N/A		6
	Olympic Games
2013	Internationaux de France
	European Championships	N/A
	Anadia World Challenge Cup
	World Championships	N/A	4
2014
	European Championships		N/A	5
	Commonwealth Games					5
	World Championships	4
2015	British Championships
	World Championships		5
2016	Glasgow World Cup
	Olympic Games	4
2017
	World Championships	N/A
2018
	Commonwealth Games			6
	European Championships		N/A		7
	World Championships	5
2019
	European Championships	N/A
	World Championships	5
2021
	Olympic Games	4
2023
	World Championships	4			5
2024
	Olympic Games	4			4

See also

In Spanish: Max Whitlock para niños