Rhys McClenaghan

Rhys McClenaghan
MBE BEM
McClenaghan in 2022
Personal information
Full nameRhys Joshua McClenaghan
Born (1999-07-21) 21 July 1999
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Gymnastics career
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Country
represented
Ireland, Northern Ireland
ClubOrigin Gymnastics
Head coach(es)Luke Carson
Former coach(es)Vladimir Shchegelov
Medal record
Men's artistic gymnastics
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 0 0
World Championships 2 0 1
European Championships 3 0 0
Commonwealth Games 1 1 0
N. European Championships 1 0 1
Total 8 1 2
Representing  Ireland
Olympic Games
2024 Paris Pommel horse
World Championships
2022 Liverpool Pommel Horse
2023 Antwerp Pommel Horse
2019 Stuttgart Pommel Horse
European Championships
2018 Glasgow Pommel Horse
2023 Antalya Pommel Horse
2024 Rimini Pommel Horse
Northern European Championships
2015 Limerick Team
2015 Limerick Pommel Horse
Representing  Northern Ireland
Commonwealth Games
2018 Gold Coast Pommel Horse
2022 Birmingham Pommel Horse
FIG World Cup
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
World Cup 2 4 1
World Challenge Cup 4 1 0
Total 6 5 1

Rhys Joshua McClenaghan (born 21 July 1999) is an artistic gymnast from Northern Ireland who competes internationally both for Ireland and Northern Ireland. McClenaghan is widely recognised as one of the best pommel horse specialists of his generation.

He is the 2024 pommel horse Olympic champion and the first gymnast to win an Olympic medal for Ireland. McClenaghan is also a double world champion on the pommel horse, having won gold in 2022 and 2023. He is the first Irish artistic gymnast to win world championship gold, having also been the first Irish gymnast to win a world medal with bronze in 2019. He is a three-time European champion representing Ireland (2018, 2023, 2024) and a Commonwealth Games champion representing Northern Ireland. McClenaghan was the first Irish gymnast to compete in a European final and also the first to win any European medal. He is the only gymnast to become Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth champion on a single apparatus.

McClenaghan was named RTÉ's Sportsperson of the Year for 2023. Along with dance partner Laura Nolan he won the 8th series of Dancing with the Stars in March 2025.

He missed all gymnastic competitions in 2025 due to injury.