McClenaghan: World gold a dream come true

Rhys McClenaghan described his gold medal at the FIG World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool as a childhood dream come true.

The 23-year-old put recent disappointments behind him to take gold in the pommel horse with an assured and composed performance that put him top of the standings.

The third of eight competitors in the final, the Newtownards native watched on as the five remaining opponents failed to knock him out of gold position.

Having taken bronze at the Stuttgart World Championships in 2019, McClenaghan made his own bit of history on Merseyside by becoming Ireland's first ever gymnastics world champion.

Asked how he felt in the aftermath of such a performance, McClenaghan said: "I’m feeling good. I’m just living in this moment... the moment I became world champion, and I couldn’t be happier right now."

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Immediately after the winning performance, McClenaghan was interviewed by the BBC and struggled to get any words out, overcome with emotion with the enormity of the achievement setting in.

"It was because it was the first time I heard somebody call me a world champion. Something just switched in my head where I just burst into tears and I couldn’t get one word out. It just shows how much this means to means to me. It’s a childhood dream come true.

"It is something I have been working towards for so many years and I’m just so glad that it paid off today."

The result demonstrated the resilience of the gymnast after some recent struggles.

The Tokyo Games,