More Than The Score

Max Whitlock on reversing his decision to retire and targeting a place at LA 2028


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Three-time Olympic gold medallist Max Whitlock has come out of retirement and is targeting a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The 32-year-old is the most successful British gymnast in history, and he had called time on his career following a 4th place finish at the Paris Olympics. He's told BBC Sport that felt like a failure and is now back in training. Whitlock is not the only high profile athlete to reverse a retirement decision with Tom Brady, Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan, Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis all choosing to give it another go.

Double Olympic Gold medal winning rower, Helen Glover, came out of retirement not once but twice. The 39-year-old mother-of-three explains to Nick Hatton why some athletes may feel a loss of identity when they choose to walk away from their career. The BBC's tennis correspondent Russell Fuller says it's more common for women in tennis than men to return to the sport having initially retired. That can be due to changes in maternity pay and protected tour rankings.

More than the Score is the BBC World Service's daily podcast exploring stories from all over the world of sport. Every Monday to Friday, we're telling stories beyond the scoreline, from tennis to football, boxing to bobsleigh, and rugby league to the NFL. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like pole vault titan Mondo Duplantis, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and tennis legend Boris Becker, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from top football scouts to physios who keep NBA stars in peak condition. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.

And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

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More Than The ScoreBy BBC World Service