Max Whitlock: 'The hard work has paid off'

Max Whitlock in action for Team GB at the Rio Olympics on August 10, 2016
© BBC
Great Britain's Max Whitlock says that he feels that he has proven himself as an all-round gymnast after winning bronze at the Olympic Games.

Great Britain's Max Whitlock has admitted that he is delighted to have secured a bronze medal in the all-round final at the Olympic Games.

Whitlock finished in third place behind Kohei Uchimura and Oleg Verniaiev, but the Hertfordshire-based gymnast ended an 108-year wait for a British medal in the all-round event.

The 23-year-old told reporters: "My coach and I Scott [Hann] have been working so hard over the past four years. We stepped out of London 2012 and I wanted to prove myself as an all-rounder and I've done that. I feel I've completed that target now.

"Kohei [Uchimura, gold medal winner] has been my idol for a long time so I'm very proud for him and Oleg [Verniaiev, silver medal winner], I've been competing with him for years. He's been producing huge scores in the last few years and I'm very honoured to come third to those two."

Whitlock now has three Olympic bronze medals to his name after finishing third in the team and pommel horse events at London 2012.

Max Whitlock of Great Britain poses after winning the silver medal in the Pommel Horse Final on Day Six of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Belgium 2013 held at the Antwerp Sports Palace on October 5, 2013
Read Next:
Whitlock claims silver at World Championship
>

CountryGoldGSilverSBronzeBTotal
1 United StatesUnited States26202066
2 Great BritainGreat Britain1416737
3 ChinaChina14131744