While all eyes were on Louis Smith during the pummel horse final at the London 2012 Games, a newer face to gymnastics took the bronze medal. Max scored 15.600 with his pummel horse routine, just a fraction behind team mate Louis Smith, who scored 16.066.
Max Whitlock, the 19 year old from Hemel Hempstead trains at the South Essex Gymnastics club in Basildon. Max first appeared on the international stage in 2012 when he competed in the Commonwealth Games where he won silver in the pommel horse and bronze in the men’s horizontal bar.
During qualifications for London 2012 Max actually scored higher than Louis Smith.
Max was also a member of the British men’s team which won bronze at the London 2012 Games – the first time British men won a medal since 1912.
He is coached by Scott Hann, who won the senior coach award in 2010 and is now the Director of Coaching at the South Essex Gym. Scott is a great believer in gymnastics as a way to help people to keep fit and provide discipline – it is similar to martial arts in its ability to get kids on the straight and narrow.
