WHILE the success of England's football lionesses in the recent Euro-championships has sparked hundreds of headlines about the growth of female participation in sport, a superstar Basildon gymnast has highlighted the rise in boys and men taking part in his sport.
Max Whitlock believes male participation in gymnastics "has gone through the roof" as a direct result of the achievements of medal winners over the last decade.
The six-time Olympic medallist was back in Basildon with fellow local athletes and newly- crowned Commonwealth Games champions and Courtney Tulloch and Georgia-Mae Fenton at the Basildon Sporting Village, on Cranes Farm Road where they surprised a room full of young children at South Essex Gymnastics Club – to which they all belong.
Local hero Max said his sport is "thriving" and claimed the rise in male participation is down to major victories from British men's teams.
"Obviously, there's still more girls who do gymnastics in the grand scheme of things than boys at the moment, but boys' participation has gone through the roof. I think that's purely down to results. On the men's side, we've brought back quite a few good results over the last 10 years and I think that's had a massive impact.
"It is incredible to be part of a sport that is absolutely thriving."
The Olympic champion admitted that the sport has changed since he first began competing and said this is mainly down to the success of the 2012 London Olympics.
"I think ever since London 2012 we really wanted to take upon that role of inspiring next generation," Max said.
"The sport isn't the same as when I started. It's just on completely different level now, which is incredible."
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