Rhys McClenaghan
GYMNASTICS
BIOGRAPHY
Rhys gave notice of his talent when he won European Junior silver in 2016 at his speciality – pommel horse – which was also Irish gymnastics’ first ever European medal. In 2018 he was European (senior) and Commonwealth champion in pommel, beating England’s reigning Olympic champion Max Whitlock in both. He tied with Whitlock in the latter but won due to a higher execution score. He did not make the final at the 2018 World Championships and had surgery soon afterwards (November) on a cyst in his shoulder. In 2019 he won bronze at the World Championships in Stuttgart, another first for Ireland and won FIG’s overall World Cup series for pommel. In April 2021, with an upgraded routine, he finished fifth at the Europeans in Switzerland. In a particularly dramatic pommel event five of the eight finalists (including Rhys) fell in what, due to Covid, was their first major championships in 18 months. Rhys competed for Rathgael Gymnastics Club in Bangor before he and his coach moved to Dublin in late 2018 where he trains at the National Gymnastics Training Centre in Abbotstown.
OTHER GYMNASTICS ATHLETES
Megan Ryan
Megan RyanGYMNASTICS BIOGRAPHY Megan comes from a big GAA family - her father Aidan captained the Cork hurlers and her sister Hayley plays camogie for Cork – but once she was selected for Gymnastics Ireland’s elite development team aged eight she never looked back and was 13 when she won her first Irish senior titles [...]
GYMNASTICS NEWS
CHILDREN NATIONWIDE TO JOIN OLYMPIANS ON ROAD TO PARIS
OLYMPIC FEDERATION OF IRELAND LAUNCHES ROAD TO PARIS – THE OLYMPIC SCHOOLS CHALLENGE Schools nationwide are invited to join the Irish Olympic team on an interactive journey to the Olympic Games in Paris. The challenge is part of the OFI’s ‘Dare to Believe’ programme supported by PTSB Today the Olympic Federation of Ireland, together […]
Performance Round Up – December
Catch up on the latest results of Team Ireland athletes throughout the month of December! Daniel Wiffen Smashes The Oldest Swimming World Record Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen had the swim of his life on Sunday, smashing the oldest World swimming record on the books in the 800m Freestyle Final at the European Aquatics Short Course Championships in Otopeni, Romania. Wiffen, [...]
Olympic Movement Breaks Launched in Primary Schools Nationally
Team Ireland athletes star as Olympic Movement Breaks is launched in primary schools nationally The Olympic Federation of Ireland and the Active School Flag programmes work together to get Irish primary school pupils more active Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education Thomas Byrne TD Launches Initiative The Minister of State for Sport and […]
Gymnastics World Championships – Team and How To Watch
WOMEN’S ARTISTIC GYMNASTS Emma Slevin Halle Hilton MEN’S ARTISTIC GYMNASTS Adam Steele Dominick Cunningham Eamon Montgomery Rhys McClenaghan *Below schedule is in local Belgian time Qualifiers Day 1 - Saturday, September 30th 10:00 - 20:05 - Men's Artistic Gymnastics - Qualification Day 1 Day 2 - Sunday, October 1st 10:00 - 14:05 - Men's Artistic [...]
Rhys McClenaghan ‘Dare To Believe’
On the 23rd of May 2023, Rhys McClenaghan made his first school visit as part of the Olympic Federation of Ireland Dare To Believe Programme, the Olympic schools programme that is sponsored by Permanent TSB. His aim is to inspire the next generation of kids and daring them to believe in themselves by sharing his [...]
European Youth Olympic Festival: Tuesday Results
Cyclist Conor Murphy stormed home with the first medal of the games for Team Ireland at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Maribor today, on a day of high winds and rain that interrupted the sports schedule across the board. The Clogher rider finished second in the Boy’s Time Trial, securing silver. All sports […]
