What time is gold medal hope Rhys McClenaghan starting his Olympics?
The two-time world champion dubbed the 'Prince of Pommel' has a qualifying round to come through before his final
Gold medal hope Rhys McClenaghan's big day is still seven days away but he must first successfully negotiate this evening's Pommel Horse qualification round at the Bercy Arena.
McClenaghan, 25, has been dubbed as Ireland's 'Prince of the Pommel'. He has worked his way to the top in his sport and is now a two-time world champion, as well as a three-time European gold medal winner and a Commonwealth Games champion.
He has also won a legion of fans with his presence on social media and, with the prospect of making up for his Tokyo Games heartbreak, there will be many Irish fans urging him to succeed at his second Olympics with the Pommel Horse final to come next Saturday.
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McClenaghan is in the mood to impress after a confident build-up to these Games but it won't be plain sailing for him, given that he is among six hopefuls who have scored 15.00 and above in 2024.
"The canvas is clean, anybody can take it, that's what is so exciting about gymnastics, or any sport for that matter," McClenaghan said.
Explaining his desire to leave a lasting Olympic legacy in the sport, the Newtownards man stated: "My routine is both challenging and ambitious, which is what it needs to be in order to compete at this level.
"There's one part of me that's like, 'listen, you're a two-time world champion, you're one of the best that has ever done it in this sport on the pommel horse, and it’s almost job done'. I'll have my name in the rankings for years to come, but then there's another part of me that is like, 'let's be the best of all time on pommel horse'.
"This is my sport, this is my apparatus, and let's cement my name not only amongst the greats, which I am now already, but as THE great. And that's not an easy task to attain, but it's something that I think is possible."
What is certain is that McClenaghan has a target on his back coming into these Games on the back of his two World title triumphs. But his desire to remain on top makes topping the podium a burning ambition.
"I also want that Olympic medal," he said, after his more recent Worlds success. I'm the person to beat and people are certainly going to aim for that."
McClenaghan is in action tonight at 8.20pm Irish time.
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