SOUTH Essex Gymnastics Club chairman Roy Short said Whitlock’s achievement had left him “speechless”, writes James Colasanti.
“It was just unbelievable and I got a bit choked up watching it,” he said. “Max’s performance was great, but the team success is massive for the country and the sport.
“We’ve produced Olympians here at the club before, but never anything on this scale.
“Now I really hope this helps get the name of South Essex Gymnastics Club out to people, and hopefully we’ll see a rise in people joining us.”
Whitlock follows in the footsteps of Annika Reeder and Nicola Willis in representing South Essex at the Olympics.
Reeder was captain of the women’s team which finished 10th in Sydney 2000, and a 19-year-old Willis helped the team finish 11th in Athens 2004.
Short said he felt the club's move from their old base off Cranes Farm Road to their new home at the Basildon Sporting Village had played a key role in this success.
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