In a historical 6th journey to the world champions, Group U.S.A. gymnast Donnell Whittenberg has actually lastly arrived of the podium. Whittenberg travelled to gold on the still rings today in Jakarta, beating leading opposition and 2022 world champ on rings, Adam Asil of Turkey.
With his accomplishment, Whittenberg ended up being the very first American guy to win gold on the rings. Possibly much more remarkably– at 31 years of ages– the veteran ended up being the earliest U.S. guy to win a world gymnastics title.
This medal marks Whittenburg’s 3rd at the World Championships, signing up with a 2014 group bronze and a 2015 vault bronze.
Understood for his “titanic strength” and extremely hard dismount (which bears his name as an eponymous ability), Whittenberg searched in shock when the judges published his rating (14.700) to verify the gold.
” It does not feel genuine,” Whittenburg informed Olympics.com following his triumph. While he confessed that this gold medal “wasn’t on his radar,” he is relishing the minute. “When you get chances like this, you simply need to value it for what it is, and I could not be more pleased.”
In his 12th year representing U.S.A. Gymnastics on the global phase, Donnell Whittenberg has actually provided his finest gymnastics.
Results (Medalists):
- Donnell Whittenburg (United States) 14.700
- Adem Asil (Turkey) 14.566
- Lan Xingyu (China) 14.500
United States’ Donnell Whittenburg sits before completing in the guys’s rings last at the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta on October 24, 2025. (Image by Yasuyoshi CHIBA/ AFP) (Image by YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP through Getty Images)
AFP through Getty Images
From Retirement Considerations to World Title
This gold medal brings additional significance for the Baltimore, Maryland, native. Regardless of his durability in the sport, Whittenberg has yet to make an Olympic group as a contending professional athlete. He has actually two times been called an alternate (2016, 2024).
Even more, after directly missing out on the group in 2024 and sustaining an Achilles injury, Whittenberg thought about retirement. Nevertheless, the then-30-year-old identified he had more to achieve in the sport.
I still have a great deal of gymnastics to offer,” he informed Olympics.com in October.
Now, the fan-favorite can examine “World Champ” off his list. While today’s accomplishment will be tough to match, Whittenberg is refrained from doing yet in Jakarta.
He is slated to complete in Saturday’s guys’s parallel bars last. Though he is not likely to challenge for gold there, anything is possible in the sport of gymnastics.
With 3 years staying in between Jakarta 2025 and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Whittenberg is on rate for his supreme objective and reveals no indications of stopping.
Source: Forbes.
