RHYS MCCLENAGHAN HAS successfully defended his Pommel Horse title at the European Gymnastics Championships in Rimini, Italy.
McClenaghan again won the gold medal after a superb, clean routine which scored 15.300.
Rhys is the word!
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) April 26, 2024
Rhys McClenaghan has leapt into the Gold medal position at the European Pommel Horse final.
The 24-year-old retains his European crown. pic.twitter.com/4GJvY59XBR
The back-to-back world champion triumphed in Europe in 2018, 2023 — and now 2024.
Performing second last in this evening’s final, McClenaghan was seamless throughout a dominant performance, which may be his final piece of competitive action ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
The 24-year-old had qualified in second with a score of 15.133.
Gymnastics Medal alert 🥇
— Gymnastics Ireland (@GymnasticsIre) April 26, 2024
Huge Congratulations to our
2024 European Pommel Horse Champion!!
Rhys McClenaghan defends his title! ☘️🇮🇪
- 15.300#Rimini2024 #TeamIreland #medalalert #sportstartshere #gymnasticsireland pic.twitter.com/hIq8F0s9nu
Loran De Munck of the Netherlands (14.933) claimed the silver medal, while Georgia’s Marios Georgiou (14.800) finished third.
It was a dramatic final in Rimini with three falls and other twists and turns, but McClenaghan typically kept his cool to triumph once more.
“I’m feeling good,” McClenaghan said afterwards. “It was a good performance we put in today.
“We still need to polish up on some of the mistakes in that routine. Whether you could see it or not, there were some minute details that the judges picked up on. I can’t wait to even go back into the warm-up hall now, think about it, practice it and improve even more on that score.”
“I really think I deal with the pressure well because I practice it every day in training,” he added.
“Every day in training practicing a routine is a competition for me. I put myself under immense pressure every day, so when it comes to a competition like this when it is the real thing, the medal gong around your neck, I’m used to it. I’m used to performing a routine under that pressure.
“I’m glad that I’m dedicated enough to this craft enough to know to pressurise myself under controlled circumstances now.”
“Very proud moment, triple European Champion,” his coach, Luke Carson, said in a statement from Gymnastics Ireland.
“The goal was to come here and showcase Olympic level gymnastics, that was certainly achieved. Now we recoup, reenergise and work towards final improvements for Olympic Games.”
Gymnastics Ireland Performance and Technical Manager Director, Sally Johnson, and CEO, Ciaran Gallagher, also shared well wishes, congratulations and thanks.
James Hickey contests the Junior Pommel Horse final tomorrow morning, before Dominick Cunningham goes into the Senior Vault decider.
Emma Slevin, Blathnaid Higgins, Halle Hilton, Lily Russell and Mimi Moloney will all participate at the women’s event next week.
Zebo and Earls connected so well all game.
Zebo and Murray connect better.
Hahahaha you beat me to it!!
No. But it would have been deservedly replayed a few times.
It would have been. cracking try….
Regardless of the opposition, it was a sublime piece of individual skill to grace any game against any opponents. He was b@stard unlucky with his footing and tried his best advice time.
*tried his best at the time
His pass for Earls try was fantastic as well. He has great creativity, game intelligence and playmaking qualities which aren’t often credited to him or if they are they’re under the bracket of “X-Factor”, sometimes he’s wasted on the wing though Schmidt seems more and more to be trying to get him in as first receiver.
Shush Rochelle! You just might get Leinster fans buying into the idea of picking the best backs for their best positions!
Yeah, Leinster fans hate good back play.
You’ve been waiting a while like
He is great going forward, don’t think u can say the same when he is going the other way.
Ah, that ole chestnut rears its ugly head yet again.
Disaster had Zebo for 1st try scorer
No. Opposition not strong enough.
ah for foots sake !
Ah stop would ya!