Rhys McClenaghan: Disappointments make gold medal all the more special

GOLDEN TOUCH: Gold medallist Rhys McClenaghan of Ireland on his return from the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2022, at Dublin Airport in Dublin. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Winning a World Championship is never anything other than special but Rhys McClenaghan’s golden performance in Liverpool last weekend was all the more special for the hurdles he had to overcome before it.

The 23-year-old has been a star performer on the international stage going back to 2018 when he finished top of the podium in the pommel at the European Championships and at the Commonwealths but the years since have balanced the good with the bad.