MAX WHITLOCK broke down in tears on TV after failing to win a medal at the Paris Olympics.

illustrious gymnastics career concluded with a stark reminder of the sport’s inherent harshness.

Following his consecutive gold medals on the pommel horse in Rio and Tokyo, Whitlock found himself edged out into fourth place by extraordinary performances from his adversaries.

Whitlock’s own display earned a commendable 15.200, a score that might have been anticipated to secure a medal, considering it matched the highest scores from Friday’s qualifying rounds.

Occupying the second position in the sequence, Whitlock opted for his most challenging routine, a bold response to the formidable 15.433 posted by the first competitor, Kazakhstan’s Nariman Kurbanov.

Max Whitlock’s

However, this strategy carried inherent risks, and Whitlock incurred the cost when his legs separated during a demanding series of maneuvers, including his signature “flares.”

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This final pommel horse performance of Max Whitlock’s career, though valiant, was marred by a slip that likely cost him 0.3 of a point, the difference between second and fourth place.

Regardless of Whitlock’s efforts, it is doubtful he could have surpassed the flawless Rhys McClenaghan, the Irish world champion on this apparatus, who achieved a staggering score of 15.533 to claim gold.

Earlier, Jake Jarman secured Britain’s first gymnastics medal of these Games, winning bronze with an exceptional floor routine.