McClenaghan Prepares to Return After Long Hiatus
Rhys McClenaghan has not competed since his Olympic triumph in Paris.
It has been 579 days since Rhys McClenaghan delivered the finest pommel horse routine of his career, fulfilling his lifelong ambition of becoming an Olympic champion.
That triumphant moment was one to be cherished and savoured.
However, the 26-year-old was unaware that this would lead to an extended period away from competition.
A shoulder injury requiring surgery has prevented McClenaghan from competing since his gold medal performance in Paris.
He is now preparing for a highly anticipated return at the Apparatus World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, scheduled for March 5-8. Even the Olympic champion admits to feeling nervous about his comeback.
"Oh, most certainly," McClenaghan told NI.
"I don't think I've had this much of a break from competition so I'm sure I'll be nervous.
"I'm nervous at every competition I do, but that's all part of the fun.
"It's part of the reason why we're doing these World Cups is to obviously get good scores, bring home medals, but then also just the experience competing again, feel that pressure, get used to it, and then build on it for future major championships."
McClenaghan‘s last routine in competition was the Olympic Final in Paris
Upcoming Competitions and Challenges
McClenaghan plans to compete in four World Cups ahead of a demanding summer featuring three major events: the Commonwealth Games, European Championships, and World Championships.
With the Los Angeles Olympics now only two years away, the timeline is rapidly approaching. Meanwhile, gymnastics continues to evolve, even during McClenaghan’s absence.
As with every Olympic cycle, some athletes retire or take breaks, while new talents emerge to advance the sport. Notably, two-time Olympic champion Max Whitlock has announced his return to competition.
Despite holding an impressive collection of titles—including Olympic gold, two World titles, three European titles, and a Commonwealth Games gold—McClenaghan recognizes that the toughest challenges are still ahead.
"I know that there's a tough challenge ahead of me in any competition I go to," McClenaghan added.
"In this sport there's definitely no room to be content with previous results. There's these younger guys coming from junior into senior, and they're so good on pommel horse.
"It's like a new generation of pommel horse workers, but I'm certainly up for the challenge. I can see pathways of beating each and every one of them, and I look forward to figuring that out like a giant jigsaw puzzle."
Reflecting on the past year, McClenaghan acknowledged the difficulties he faced due to injury but expressed optimism about returning to competition.
"I feel like the last year I was pretty content and rightfully so but it was a struggle of a year where I was injured constantly.
"Thankfully I'm back in the competition field competing against other high level gymnasts and I'm looking forward to that competition."
