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.