Paris 2024 Olympics - Artistic Gymnastics - Men's Podium Training - Bercy Arena, Paris, France - July 24, 2024. Max Whitlock of Great Britain during training. REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
PARIS (Reuters) - It took every bit of motivation for Britain's Max Whitlock to return to gymnastics after a long and difficult hiatus following the Tokyo Olympics, and checking Wikipedia for the history he could make at the Paris Games was one of them.
The three-times Olympic champion had suffered mental health issues after Tokyo that kept him away from the sport for 18 months, before he returned to competition early last year.
Now he says the pressure is manageable and that he felt in control and grateful to be at his fourth consecutive Olympics.
"I nearly stopped gymnastics in Tokyo. For me to be in this position here, I feel massively grateful," he told reporters after a training session at the Bercy Arena on Wednesday, where artistic gymnastics will kick off on Saturday.
"It's my choice to be back here," he said.
The 31-year-old said getting back to the gym was a big factor that helped him emerge from the trying period, but also the knowledge that he could break an Olympic record with a fourth medal.
A podium finish on the pommel horse for the Briton could put him in the history books as the first gymnast - male or female - to win four Olympic medals on the same apparatus.
"I scrolled through Wikipedia a lot, actually, just to confirm," he said.
"When I was in that kind of period where I was like, I don't really want to come back... I looked up to those because every bit for me, every tiny little bit of motivation, no matter what it is, helps - the opportunity to make history and try and go for that."
Whitlock took the pommel horse title in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo and the bronze medal at London 2012.
Having his five-year-old daughter - a budding competitive gymnast herself - and other family members watching from the stands would also add to the joy after an audience-less pandemic Games three years ago, he said.
"They're really excited... I think everyone is almost taking everything in a little bit more because this is my last one. It feels like you're almost trying to capture those little moments a little bit more, and just trying to kind of soak it all in."
The artistic gymnastics competition takes place between July 27-Aug. 5.
(Editing by Christian Radnedge)
