Olympics gymnastics: Max Whitlock into pommel horse final as GB shine at Paris 2024

Max Whitlock breathed a huge sigh of relief as he reached the pommel horse final to have a chance of Olympic history after his “most emotional” competition.

The 31-year-old Briton, who is seeking to become the first gymnast to win medals on the same apparatus at four successive Games, almost retired after the Tokyo Olympics three years ago before deciding he was not done with his sport yet.

Qualifying third for the eight-man final, the defending champion said he had “never felt emotions like that” and was particularly thrilled to perform well in front of his five-year-old daughter Willow, who was “screaming like crazy” at Bercy Arena.

“I was mega pleased,” Whitlock, who also took gold at Rio 2016 and bronze at London 2012, told reporters.

“Honestly, the relief is a crazy, crazy feeling. I think I’ve never felt emotions like that in a competition. Everyone knows how much this means to me.

“Nerves of course were high – we’ll never get away from nerves, that pressure, that expectancy – but I think the emotional side of it, kind of knowing what it means, that was very, very different this time.”

Whitlock said he would consider adding upgrades to his routine in next Saturday’s pommel horse final, where his biggest challengers are set to be Ireland’s world champion Rhys McClenaghan and American Stephen Nedoroscik, who both scored 15.200, just ahead of Whitlock’s 15.166.