The Olympian speaks to Radio Times about the upcoming games. <\/p>
This interview first appeared in\u00a0Radio Times magazine<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n In London in 2012, a fresh-faced, inexperienced 19-year-old Max Whitlock held a bronze medal in his hands. He, along with his teammates in the men\u2019s gymnastics squad, had made history despite the fact that, just a few months beforehand, he had been told he wouldn\u2019t be selected for the team.<\/p>\n Fast-forward to 2024, and Whitlock is the most successful British gymnast of all time \u2013 he\u2019s a six-time Olympic medallist (three gold and three bronze) and the most successful pommel-horse worker in the Games\u2019 history. Now, he\u2019s set on dominating Paris \u2013 his last hurrah ahead of retirement.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people get their first Olympic medal, they might run around the arena going absolutely wild,\u201d the 31-year-old says, in a living room that is light, spacious and minimalist \u2013 except for his bespoke pommel horse, of course. \u201cI get teased because my biggest celebration is a little fist pump. I\u2019m not downplaying the moment \u2013 I\u2019m just trying to take it all in my stride.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole process and the build-up to the competition is so calculated. I\u2019m so regimented and structured. When it comes to the moment, and it all plays out and you get an Olympic gold medal and you\u2019ve done the best performance you could ever do \u2013 even then, I don\u2019t fully relax. I just try and go with the flow, do each bit and never let the emotions erupt. I never rest or leave my hat on one result. I\u2019m always like, \u2018OK, that\u2019s done. What\u2019s next?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n