Rhys McClenaghan has successfully defended his European gymnastics crown in Italy.

The double world champion warmed up for his tilt at Olympic glory with a superb performance on the Pommel Horse to claim the title for the third time, having first done so in 2018.

The County Down gymnast's routine earned him a score of 15.300 in Rimini to take the lead in the event, beating the next best score of 14.933 - a clean dismount edging him clear of his nearest rival, Loran De Munck of the Netherlands. Cypriot Marios Georgiou took third place.

The performance is expected to be his last competitive outing until the Paris Games during the summer.

McClenaghan, 24, won the title in Antalya last year and, after a surprise failure to make the World Cup final in Baku last month, a third placed-finish in Doha last week had put him back on track for the Europeans.

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