Donnell Whittenburg can finally call himself a world champion.

Whittenburg, a two-time Olympic alternate who tore an Achilles in September 2024, became the first American to win a world gymnastics title on still rings.

He became the third American to win a medal across Friday’s five events in Jakarta, Indonesia, after Joscelyn Roberson (vault bronze) and Patrick Hoopes (pommel horse bronze).

Whittenburg scored 14.7 points for his rings routine that included the “Whittenburg” dismount: a triple pike back somersault. It’s named after him because Whittenburg became the first gymnast to perform it internationally in 2017.

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That dismount helped Whittenburg win over a field that included 2022 World champion Adem Asil of Turkiye (sil

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