Donnell Whittenburg (born August 18, 1994) is an American artistic gymnast whose strongest events are rings, vault, and floor.[1]

Donnell Whittenburg
Country representedUnited States
Born (1994-08-18) August 18, 1994 (age 29)
Baltimore, Maryland
ResidenceMilwaukee, Wisconsin
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior International Elite
Years on national team2013–present (USA)
ClubSalto Gymnastics Center
College teamDeVry University
Head coach(es)Anthony Ingrelli
Medal record
Men's artistic gymnastics
Representing  United States
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Nanning Team
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Glasgow Vault
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto Team
Gold medal – first place 2023 Santiago Team
Gold medal – first place 2023 Santiago Rings
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto Floor exercise
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto Rings
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto Vault
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Santiago All-Around
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Medellín Team
Silver medal – second place 2021 Rio de Janeiro Team
FIG World Cup
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
All-Around World Cup 0 2 0
World Challenge Cup 1 2 2
Total 1 4 2

Early life edit

Whittenburg is from central Baltimore, Maryland.[2]

Career edit

Whittenburg won a bronze medal at the 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.[3] He was the 2014 U.S. National champion on Vault and is the 2015 U.S. national champion on rings. At the 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Whittenburg won the bronze medal in the team event with the Americans,[4] and contributed scored on floor exercise (15.300), still rings (14.766), vault (14.966) and parallel bars (14.633).[5] At the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, he won the individual bronze medal on vault with an average combined score of 15.350 behind Ri Se Gwang of North Korea (15.450) and Marian Drăgulescu of Romania (15.400). He also qualified for the individual still rings event final but finished in eight place with 15.300. At the 2017 London World Cup, Whittenburg won gold in that all-around competition, and at the 2017 Koper World Challenge Cup, the individual apparatus competition, in Slovenia, Whittenburg won gold on parallel bars, and silvers on floor and vault.

In 2022 he placed second in the United States men's all around behind Brody Malone, scoring highest in rings and second highest on vault.[6][7] At the 2022 World Challenge Cup in Paris he won bronze medal on parallel bars and rings.[8]

Named skill edit

Whittenburg has one skill in gymnastics named after him in the 2022–2024 Code of Points, the triple salto backwards piked on still rings. The Whittenburg dismount has the highest difficulty score (D-score) in still rings at H (0.8).[9]

Competitive history edit

Year Event Team AA FX PH SR VT PB HB
Junior
2010 U.S. National Championships (14-15) 10 11 20 6   12 5
2011 U.S. National Championships (16-18) 6 11 17   4 6 4
2012 Winter Cup 21 9 35 13 25 32 28
U.S. National Championships (16-18)   5 6        
Mexican Open 6
Senior
2013 Winter Cup 11 17 30 7 6 16 25
National Qualifier       11   7
U.S. National Championships 13 24 17 6 7 8 24
DTB Pokal Team Cup 5
2014 Winter Cup   6 20   4 7 10
Doha Challenge Cup 4
National Qualifier     5     21 13
U.S. National Championships 4 7 14     6 11
World Championships   17 7
Stuttgart World Cup  
2015 Winter Cup   5 21 4 14   13
American Cup  
Pan American Games   4      
U.S. National Championships     8     9 26
World Championships 5 8 8  
2016 Winter Cup 6 32 17     10 12
American Cup  
Pacific Rim Championships           6
U.S. National Championships 5 11 25   4 5 12
Olympic Trials 4 8 14       12
2017 Winter Cup 4 4 14   13 5 7
London World Cup  
Koper Challenge Cup   4    
U.S. National Championships   11 10       1
World Championships 6 R2 R1
2018 U.S. National Championships 5 9
2019 National Qualifier 12   6 22
U.S. National Championships 7 7 14   7 11 16
2021 Winter Cup 11 4 21   11 10
Pan American Championships  
Olympic Trials 14    
World Championships 30 12
2022 U.S. Classic     20     13 23
U.S. National Championships   5 14     10 8
Paris Challenge Cup    
World Championships 5 8
2023 U.S. Classic 7 10 65   13 9 16
U.S. National Championships 7   25   18 13
Pan American Games     6  
2024 Winter Cup 5 4 19   6 16

References edit

  1. ^ "Donnell Whittenburg, still chasing an Olympic spot, in hunt at nationals". Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ "Donnell Whittenburg closes in on stardom, one vault at a time". Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  3. ^ Nick; Zaccardi (October 7, 2014). "China stuns Japan at World Gymnastics Championships; U.S. wins bronze (video)". NBC Sports. NBC. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  4. ^ "Donnell Whittenburg". USA Gymnastics. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  5. ^ Graves, Will (June 25, 2021). "Whittenburg making one last stand at US gymnastics trials". Associated Press.
  6. ^ "Donnell Whittenburg wins second at 2022 U.S. Gymnastics Championships". August 21, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  7. ^ "Donnell Whittenburg, still chasing an Olympic spot, in hunt at nationals". Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  8. ^ "U.S. gymnasts capture 10 medals, including four gold, as Paris World Challenge Cup concludes". USA Gymnastics. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  9. ^ MAG COP 2022–2024 p. 97, passim

External links edit