Northern Ireland's Rhys McClenaghan overcame his bitter disappointment at Tokyo in 2021 with a stunning display in Paris.
Competing for Team Ireland, McClenaghan won Olympic gold in the pommel horse to become Ireland’s first ever Olympic champion.
#Paris2024 #olympics #france #ireland
Competing for Team Ireland, McClenaghan won Olympic gold in the pommel horse to become Ireland’s first ever Olympic champion.
#Paris2024 #olympics #france #ireland
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00:00He was Ireland's first ever world champion in the gymnastics, he's now Ireland's first
00:03ever Olympic champion in gymnastics, Rhys McClelligan.
00:07Thank you very much for talking to us.
00:10The pommel horse, gold medal, it's sitting right there.
00:12Right here.
00:13There we go, look at that.
00:15Talk us through what's going through your head after you realise you've won.
00:20Just a lifetime of work paying off in one little moment.
00:24It's a very powerful thing to have happen to you and I don't think the human brain is
00:29meant to fully comprehend something like that but I'm doing my best to.
00:34Now your routine, 46 seconds, is that right?
00:37Yep.
00:3846 seconds, how, that's no time at all really, but how does that feel when that's on the
00:44line?
00:45Yeah, it's a lot of pressure, of course as I said it's a lifetime of work and for it
00:48all to come down to 46 seconds and if there's one little mistake there that gold medal is
00:54out of my hands.
00:55So it is a lot of pressure but it's something that I've also prepared for my whole life.
01:01I prepare to perform under those pressure situations and I pulled it off on that day.
01:08Redemption story though for you, it didn't go right in Tokyo.
01:12We've had in Team China, Su Rui Di fell on the apparatus and hopefully come back and
01:19do the same type of thing but talk us through your own redemption story and perhaps how
01:24Su will be feeling right now and what it feels like when you've put in so much work
01:28and it doesn't go right to then get back up and literally in your case, get back on
01:32the horse.
01:33Yeah, it's the nature of gymnastics, it's the nature of the sport, even the very, very
01:37best have that possibility of falling and falling multiple times even so us gymnasts
01:42we all know that that's actually a possibility and it's just about who can hold their nerve
01:48in that moment and not make those large errors.
01:52Now, Team Ireland doing absolutely fantastically at these games.
01:57What's the mood like in the camp and what's it been like, I mean did you guys expect that
02:02you were going to put in this type of haul?
02:03So I mean there was expectations put on us from media, from even family and supporters
02:09back home that this might be our most successful games ever and we've delivered, we've fully
02:16delivered on those expectations and we have got four gold medals so far, eight medals
02:23in total and I think we're currently ranked 12th in the Olympic Games medal tally.
02:29So for Ireland with a population as small as we have.
02:32The size of Berlin.
02:34The size of Berlin, wow, that's amazing.
02:38A lad from Newtownards, you've now got the Olympic gold medal in front of you, what's
02:44that going to be like when you go back home and show that off?
02:46I think it'll be a monument of inspiration, my hometown has never seen an Olympic medal
02:54before and this is going to be super special, bringing back a gold one and I hope to use
03:00it in the most responsible manner possible and in my mind that's to inspire a younger
03:05generation but then also everybody in that town, everybody in the country hopefully will
03:10be inspired and just to work hard, you know.
03:15That's very admirable of you as well there, I mean you've got big plans though, the Pommel
03:19Horse this time out, you've got plans to take that further have you, going to have a go
03:23with a couple of the other apparatus?
03:25Yeah, I would like to come back and do the all-around event, I love doing the all-around,
03:31I love performing the other apparatus as well and I feel like that is mostly the driving
03:36force behind this, I want to enjoy my sport as much as possible and of course I will give
03:42the Pommel Horse it's due respect as always but it'll be fun to test my mind and my body
03:49on the other apparatus too.
03:51You're done now with the Games, get to enjoy it a little bit, apart from when you come
03:56to speak to people like yourself, what have you got planned for the rest of it and how
04:01much interaction do you have with other athletes from the other teams, I'm obviously thinking
04:04particularly Team China, is there anybody who you come up with, anybody who you meet?
04:09Well amongst the gymnasts, you know the Chinese, everybody from across the world in gymnastics
04:15we all have this mutual respect for each other, we all know how difficult it is just to get
04:20to the Olympic Games, so when we see each other it's a pleasure and we congratulate
04:26each other, we welcome each other into the village, into the gymnastics halls and it's
04:33been a very nice experience shared with the other gymnasts.
04:37Very admirable young man there, thank you very much for that, I've got one final question,
04:41can I have a feel of your medal?
04:42Of course you can.
04:43Thanks very much.
04:44Damn mate that's heavy, that is, I'm shaking it, an Olympic gold medal, thank you very
04:52much Rhys, there you go, I will hand that very safely, wow that's beautiful, I will
04:56hand that back to you, thank you very much for your time, thanks for speaking to us,
05:00congratulations again.