22 Facts About Rhys McClenaghan

Rhys Joshua McClenaghan was born on 21 July 1999 and is an artistic gymnast from Northern Ireland who competes internationally both for Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Rhys McClenaghan is the 2024 pommel horse Olympic champion, the first gymnast to win an Olympic medal for Ireland.

Rhys McClenaghan is a double world champion on the pommel horse, having won gold in 2022 and 2023.

Rhys McClenaghan is the first Irish artistic gymnast to win world championship gold, having been the first Irish gymnast to win a world medal with bronze in 2019.

Rhys McClenaghan is a three-time European champion representing Ireland and a Commonwealth Games champion representing Northern Ireland.

Rhys McClenaghan was the first Irish gymnast to compete in a European final and the first to win any European medal.

Rhys McClenaghan is the only gymnast to become Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth champion on a single apparatus.

In 2019, Rhys McClenaghan became the first Irish gymnast to qualify for a world championships final and to win a medal.

Rhys McClenaghan competed for Northern Ireland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, winning gold.

Rhys McClenaghan followed this by winning the 2018 European Championships.

In 2023, Rhys McClenaghan won a second European title and retained the world title.

Rhys McClenaghan was named RTE's Sportsperson of the Year for 2023.

Rhys McClenaghan was born in Newtownards, County Down, to Tracy, a nursery school teacher, and Danny Rhys McClenaghan, a builder.

Rhys McClenaghan has been coached by close friend Luke Carson for many years.

Rhys McClenaghan won Ireland's first European Championships medal, earning silver on the pommel horse at the 2016 Junior European Gymnastics Championship.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games held at the Gold Coast, Australia, Rhys McClenaghan won gold on the pommel horse, beating reigning world and Olympic champion Whitlock by dint of higher execution score, after tying on overall scores.

At the 2018 European Championships, Rhys McClenaghan won the gold medal and became Ireland's first-ever European champion.

Rhys McClenaghan then relocated to Dublin during the week, upon receiving funding and accommodation from Gymnastics Ireland and Sport Ireland to train in the Sport Ireland Institute in Abbotstown.

Rhys McClenaghan was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to gymnastics.

Rhys McClenaghan competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he came in seventh place in the men's pommel horse final.

Rhys McClenaghan resumed training in his home town of Newtownards when Carson opened a new gym in spring 2023.

Rhys McClenaghan competed in series 8 of Dancing with the Stars alongside professional dance partner Laura Nolan.