Rhys part of golden generation
RHYS MCCLENAGHAN is delighted he’s not the only one saying he is going for gold in Tokyo.
A bronze medallist in the 2019 world championships, the 21-year-old gymnast returns to competitive action for the first time in 18 months in the European Championships next week.
Winning gold there would ramp up the hype ahead of the Olympics, but Mcclenaghan isn’t fazed.
“It wouldn’t bother me either way,” he said. “Every time I’m competing my goal is to take that gold medal.
“That’s the routine I’m training for, one of the most difficult scores in the world up on the pommel horse, as well as maintaining the execution score.
“So the total score is always going to challenge that top spot, without a doubt.”
The Down man noted how the Irish rowers who won gold and silver in their European Championships last weekend said that they are seeking to feed off that success by going for Olympic glory.
“It was very inspiring to see the success of the rowers again and the competition was very inspiring, to see more and more Irish athletes come along saying ‘we want to take Olympic gold’,” Mcclenaghan admitted.
“We’ve all talked about in previous times that hasn’t been the case, whereas I’m sitting beside the women’s hockey team and they’re saying the same thing, ‘we’re going to take gold’.
“I don’t know if that gives anyone else goosebumps, but it gives me goosebumps, seeing the country taking the initiative, saying, ‘we’re going to go there and try get that gold medal’, and not just say ‘hopefully things go well, hopefully we’ll get a personal best’.
“Of course, I always feel like I’ve had that winning mindset, but to see the culture in Ireland, everybody coming out saying they’re going for gold, is a very positive thing.”