Paris 2024: Daydream believer to mastering the pommel for Rhys McClenaghan

And so Rhys McClenaghan has arrived at the top of the mountain. Olympic gold his crowning glory.

Watching the pommel horse final was a gripping 40 minutes or so.

A week ago, Stephen Nedoroscik's potential as a gold medallist was flagged up by RTÉ commentator Colm Murray; in qualifying both he and McClenaghan posted the same score. Max Whitlock, in this his swansong event, could not be discounted. And then there was Nariman Kurbanov from Kazakhstan.

And it was the latter who set the target in the final, though to me and my untutored eye, Max Whitlock's routine looked impressive, that was until he lacked a variety in his movements towards the end. "You only use so many elements (types of movement), you then have to change. If not, the general person in the crowd would get bored," that was Colm Murray's summation of the scoring in gymnastics. I did take notes on what he had to say, you know!

And then Rhys took to the horse, exactly three years on from when his maiden Olympic Games ended as a result of a minor slip in the final. European and World titles would follow, catapulting him as the man to beat.

The sizeable Irish crowd in the Bercy Arena gave Rhys a huge welcome, cheered his every turn and twist as went through his routine. The cheering grew louder, yet one feared that his hand might slip off the edge, but that's part of the thrill. The pommel horse, like all the other artistic gymnastic disciplines, is so much more impressive in the flesh. Simone Biles, a half an hour earlier, pounding on to that vault and adding to her medal haul, is better watched live.

McCleneghan then landed on the floor with a kind of thump. The packed arena were appreciative of his efforts. Kurbanov's score was 15.434, an impressive mark. And then