McClenaghan and Montgomery miss out on medals in European finals

Montgomery was competing in his first European final

Rhys McClenaghan finished seventh in the pommel horse final at the European Championships. Pic: ©INPHO

Rhys McClenaghan finished seventh in the final of the pommel horse at the European Championships in Zagreb on Friday evening.

The Olympic champion - a three-time European gold medallist competing in his fifth final - scored 14.166, lower than the 14.400 which saw him qualify in fifth. In the final, McClenaghan made errors at the beginning and end of his routine.

The Newtownards man also missed out on a medal at last month's Commonwealth Games when he scored 13.000 to finish sixth as he debuted a new routine. That competition was his first since returning from shoulder surgery. 

After tweaks, his score was much improved in the European final but still well below the 15.533 which won him gold in Paris two years ago. 

Gold was claimed by Gabriele Targhetta, the first Italian to win European gold on the apparatus, with a score of 15.133. Two Armenian childhood friends - Hamlet Manukyan and Mamikon Khachatryan - scored 15.000 and 14.900 to take silver and bronze respectively.

In his first European final, Antrim's Eamon Montgomery finished seventh in the floor exercise.

The 23-year-old scored 13.533. Like McClenaghan, his score in the final was lower than in qualification, when the judges awarded him 14.033 to qualify in sixth. Montgomery had nailed his landings in qualifying but could not repeat that execution in the final.