Heath Thorpe does not want to repeat the old mistake. Back in 2024, he was still fighting for a place at the Paris Olympics through the Oceania route. The 25-year-old pushed through the final qualification events, but could not secure the spot he needed, ending his Olympic dream before the Games even began. Now in 2026, his focus has shifted to LA 2028, but before chasing that goal again, he has chosen to step away from gymnastics after a difficult stretch marked by burnout.

Thorpe recently shared an update on Instagram, posting three pictures from his journey. In one, he is seen standing inside a training gym wearing a green gymnastics uniform. Along with the images, he opened up about his decision to step back from competition and training for the remainder of 2026.

“Over the last few months, I’ve been experiencing what’s easiest to describe as burnout. I had every intention of pushing through for the rest of the year, but after really sitting with my truth and listening to my heart, I knew it was time to take a breath and reset. I had exceeded my capacity, both as an athlete and, most importantly, as a human,” Heath Thorpe added.

Thorpe’s first big international event of 2026 was at the Oceania Championships in Brisbane. There, he played senior men’s team (Ben Foster, James Hardy, Ritam Malik, Jesse Moore, Heath Thorpe) for Australia. Australia had the best team performances, winning all of the team titles and achieving team qualification for the 2026 World Championships with a team score of 234.294. Thorpe played through the line-up scoring 39.100 overall.

He then went back to Luxembourg Open 2026 to end up in the final group but in 5th place on horizontal bar with 12.050. He also scored 13.000 for floor exercise. Looking back on the stress that elite gymnastics puts on them, he added, “Gymnastics is incredibly demanding, especially at the level I hold myself to. When the enjoyment is no longer there, it becomes nearly impossible to push through… and quite frankly, dangerous.”

Even with the break, Heath Thorpe’s long-term direction has not changed. LA 2028 remains the target. “For now, I still have my eyes set on LA2028. I know I have more to give in these final stages of my career, and beneath the fatigue, there is still a hunger,” he said.