South Essex has developed countless Olympians who have gone on to represent their country over the years, but Max Whitlock made history at Rio 2016.
The coronavirus pandemic resulted in the latest Olympic Games – due to have taken place in Tokyo last year – being delayed by 12 months.
But our Max, who trains at the Basildon-based South Essex Gymnastics Club, made history at the last Olympics as he became Great Britain’s first ever Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast.
August, 14, 2016 turned into a day to remember for Max as he triumphed in the individual floor exercise final. Just hours later, he won a second gold in the individual pommel horse.
Max returned to Basildon weeks later, where he was welcomed by thousands of fans.
Scroll down to see more images of Max's Olympic dream coming true and homecoming.
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