Three-time Olympic champion Max Whitlock dominated the competition to win the pommel horse gold medal at the British Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool.
The 31-year-old topped the standings with a huge score of 15.250, finishing over one whole mark better off than silver medallist Jake Jarman as he ramps up preparations to defend his title at the Paris 2024 Games.
"It feels crazy we are in Olympic year now - it feels like 2024 has really started," BBC Sport quotes Whitlock as saying after his gold medal-worthy routine. "It feels good, it feels good to be back. Since Tokyo it has been a bit of a rollercoaster for me, with a year out of the sport then coming back in."
However, the acrobatic aficionado Jarman finished atop the podium in three of the other five men's apparatus finals, taking the gold medal in the floor exercise, high bar and vault, taking just a small step back on his 3.5 twisting routine on the latter apparatus.
Max Whitlock OBE, take a bow!
— British Gymnastics (@BritGymnastics) March 17, 2024
An incredible routine by the two time Olympic Champion on this piece. He is the new 2024 Artistic Pommel Horse British Champion! Huge congratulations, Max!
Remember to tune in and watch the action on iPlayer 👉 https://t.co/z658RbkrqP#2024British pic.twitter.com/uMicDAmAb3
Meanwhile, all-around champion Joe Fraser won the British title in the parallel bars with a total of 14.550, the same event he was crowned world champion in back in 2019, while Harry Hepworth bested Courtney Tulloch by just 0.05 marks to take the rings gold.
In the absence of Jessica Gadirova, Jennifer Gadirova and Alice Kinsella, all of whom missed out due to injury, all-around women's champion Ondine Achampong also scooped a trio of gold medals in the apparatus finals on Sunday.
The 20-year-old came up trumps on the beam, floor and uneven bars - Becky Downie placed sixth in the latter event - while Shannon Archer clinched the women's title on vault.
Next up for the British athletes is next month's European Artistic Championships, held in the Italian city of Rimini from April 24 to 28, before British Gymnastics names the squad for the 2024 Olympics in June.
Ben Knapton
