American gymnast Donnell Whittenburg has made history after a mesmerizing performance at the World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia. Forbes reported that Whittenburg defeated Adam Asil of Turkey to become the first American man to capture gold on the rings.

At 31 years old, Whittenburg is also the oldest U.S. man to win a gymnastics title at the World Championships. His breakthrough moment comes after he earned a team bronze in 2014 and a vault bronze in 2015.

Donnell Whittenburg made history at the World Championships

Whittenburg appeared to be in shock after he captured gold at the World Championships: “It doesn’t feel real,” Whittenburg said in an interview with Olympics.com. “It definitely wasn’t on my radar, but once you get opportunities like this, you just have to appreciate it for what it is, and I couldn’t be more happy.”

Despite being 31, Whittenburg said he remained confident in what his body can do, but it was the mental aspect that was especially key for his performance.

“I knew that my body was still good to do gymnastics, but it all started up here,” Whittenburg said in reference to maintaining a strong mindset, according to GymCastic. “How bad do I still want to go for that dream? I knew that if my body’s still good, why not keep pushing for it?”

In September 2024, Whittenburg tore his Achilles tendon and even considered retiring.

“I’m just happy that I stuck with it and didn’t give up on myself,” he said, per GymCastic. “Most importantly, my friends, family, coaches and my whole support system, I’m glad didn’t give up on me as well. I’m just happy that we’re all still together and we’re still pushing for it because we still got some work to do.”

Whittenburg, who has never made it to the Olympics as a competing athlete, was only named as an alternate in 2016 and 2024. If he competes at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Whittenburg would be the oldest American gymnast at the games since 1952, according to NBC Sports.

Donnell Whittenburg captured gold at the World Championships

Whittenburg sealed the gold medal with a score of 14.700 points on the rings. His routine included the triple somersault known as the “Whittenburg” dismount, named after himself became he was the first gymnast to land the move on an international stage in 2017.

Whittenburg defeated Asil, the 2022 world champion, to win the gold. The field also included China’s 2021 World champion Lan Xingyu, as well as three-time world champion Eleftherios Petrounias from Greece.

Donnell Whittenburg

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