'Extraordinary' Newtownards' Rhys McClenaghan wins Olympic Games gold in Paris as Northern Ireland medal tally hits super six

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Newtownards’ Rhys McClenaghan has won Olympic Games gold in Paris thanks to a memorable men’s pommel horse final display.

With Daniel Wiffen, Jack McMillan and Hannah Scott having already picked up top prizes in Paris over the past week – to add to the list of past champions in Lady Mary Peters (1972), Stephen Martin (1988) and Jimmy Kirkwood (1988) – now it is the turn of McClenaghan to join the elite roll of honour.

He stepped into the spotlight on Saturday afternoon representing Team Ireland in the artistic gymnastics showcase as a favourite for glory given his commanding heats success last weekend plus track record as a two-time World champion, three-time European winner and Commonwealth Games victor.

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And he managed to complete the job at the Bercy Arena with a superb display to take his place in the history books and add to Northern Ireland’s stunning medal haul this summer – with a performance described as ‘extraordinary’ by one commentator and score of 15.533.

Rhys McClenaghan of Team Ireland celebrates after finishing his gold medal-winning routine during the artistic gymnastics men's pommel horse final at the Paris Olympics. Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Images.Rhys McClenaghan of Team Ireland celebrates after finishing his gold medal-winning routine during the artistic gymnastics men's pommel horse final at the Paris Olympics. Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Images.
Rhys McClenaghan of Team Ireland celebrates after finishing his gold medal-winning routine during the artistic gymnastics men's pommel horse final at the Paris Olympics. Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Images.

McClenaghan’s triumph marks a seventh gold medal in Northern Ireland summer Olympic Games history, fourth of the week and sixth Paris prize overall following Wiffen (Team Ireland), McMillan (Team GB), Scott (Team GB), Rebecca Shorten (Team GB, silver) and Philip Doyle (Team Ireland, bronze).

After the heats, McClenaghan had declared: "But, of course, I want to be pushing more and more to that perfection that isn’t attainable but we’ll try.

"I can upgrade and I plan to upgrade.

"Hopefully we’ll be seeing that score bumped up even further.

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"It felt so familiar out there, that pressure I have on my shoulders, because I do it every day in training."

Late afternoon on Saturday in Paris the 25-year-old managed to complete that childhood Olympic Games dream.

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