The MyInfo website at Paris caters solely to certified media and a multitude of team officials that assist athletes. In this virtual space, biographical details of gymnasts competing in the forthcoming Saturday’s men’s pommel final are found, including Rhys McClenaghan’s profile, where he boldly states his aspiration: “Victory at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games”.
Interestingly, this mirrors his focus from Tokyo 2020. Fast forward to this Saturday, McClenaghan seeks to fulfill his long-held vision in Bercy Arena, a dream that succumbed three years back due to a minor error in the critical round.
A wrong-handed swing costing him a tumble plunged him to seventh spot, exiting Tokyo humbled, unwavering and motivated. The cursed Olympics had struck once more.
However, the Olympic cycle was cut to three years instead of four due to the Covid crisis. Unfazed by the Tokyo setback, McClenaghan launched himself with vigour and clinched the world champion title in Liverpool in 2022. Defending the title successfully in Antwerp, a year later, he looks forward to Paris 2024 without an Olympic medal in his kitty.
Confidently securing his place in the final eight the previous week, the two-time world champion McClenaghan enters Paris with the most points (15.200) and a steadfast belief in his chances for a podium finish, an aspiration sharper due to his Tokyo failure.
“I feel I am on cloud nine right now, and loving this moment”, the 25-year old shared post-qualification for the final, admitting that while it could indeed be better, the performance was solid, which is the exact sentiment echoed by his coach, Luke Carson. Paraphrasing his thoughts regarding his next appearance at the Olympics, he stated, “Yes, I am aiming for that elusive perfection. And, although it may seem unreachable, we will strive for it.”.
Despite securing a commendable top spot among 65 contenders, McClenaghan and Carson remained uncertain about their final routine. Experienced gymnastic enthusiasts recognise the parallels between the pommel and women’s balance beam, given the persistent, nail-biting concern that the athletes might fail to successfully complete their display, a scenario McClenaghan unfortunately experienced three years prior, falling short by 10 seconds. Achieving a full routine is the initial step towards victory.
Primarily, it’s the athlete’s mental and physical dexterity that matters, with a significant emphasis on embedding the moves into muscle memory. It’s universally acknowledged in the sport that if attempts are made to recall the sequence of moves, the athlete’s chance of succeeding evaporates before even mounting the pommel. The moves need to become second nature.
There’s a requirement for stamina, rhythm, and exactness to prevent any contact with the apparatus while the legs perform a ‘flare’ movement back and forth over the span of approximately 45 seconds. Scoring is based on execution and complexity, with the athlete choosing how much to ramp up the level of difficulty before competing.
McClenaghan finds himself negotiating a high-stakes balance between potential rewards and possible risks, a process involving himself, his teams, and a manifestation of his self-confidence. Designing a routine that stands a chance at fetching an Olympic gold isn’t a capability every athlete possesses, but for McClenaghan, it is. His routine for Saturday’s final match at the Bercy Arena won’t resemble his preceding performances.
McClenaghan expressed his intentions to improve his routine last week, expressing his hopes to raise his score even further. Despite the familiar burden of pressure, he shared his failure to concern himself with the winning score, focussing primarily on delivering a solid performance.
However, it would be a mistake to assume a clear path to victory for McClenaghan. In Tokyo, the title was won by his familiar rival, Britain’s Max Whitlock, a triple Olympic winner who has claimed the Olympic title once for the floor routine and twice on the pommel. Whitlock’s victory in Tokyo marked him as the first man to successfully defend a pommel horse gold medal in over 40 years.
Choosing to reverse his previous decision to retire post-Tokyo, he declared that his last appearance would be at the Paris games. Whitlock certainly announced his intent by qualifying as one of the only five athletes to exceed a 15 point score.
Having a thorough understanding of the game’s subtleties and of the personalities of leading qualifiers such as Whitlock, Sugino of Japan (15.033), Ukraine’s Verniaiev(15.033), Kazakhstan’s Kurbanov (15.000), Korea’s Hur Woong (14.900), and de Munck, a Dutch gymnast (14.760), McClenaghan is not out of his element.
From the time he witnessed the pommel competition as a young enthusiast on a visit to London 12 years ago, he has always longed to be in his current position. Reflecting on his admiration for Louis Smith, the British silver medalist who displayed an impressive performance despite the glaring pressure from his home crowd, he spoke to the BBC.
“The level of pressure Smith had to endure, and to witness him give a stellar performance to the panel of judges, just as he did in training – I found that extremely admirable,” expressed McClenaghan to Nigel Ringland. “That’s a memory I won’t ever forget, it motivated me up until now. My career is a compilation of similar instances, instances of surreal, dreamlike aspirations that I’ve harboured as a child, to be matched against Louis.”
Saturday night is devoid of illusions. It purely revolves around McClenaghan and the high hopes he carries for himself. As a two-time world title holder and a three-time European champion, he is recognised as one of the legends of the game. However, this alone does not satisfy McClenaghan. He enters the Bercy Arena with the aim of attaining flawlessness.