Olympic pommel horse gold medalist Rhys McClenaghan will miss the World Gymnastics Championships in October after undergoing right shoulder surgery.
“I’m disappointed to miss this year’s World Championships, but my priority is to maintain my place as the best in the world on pommel horse,” he said, according to a representative. “My goal is not only to retain my Olympic title in LA 2028 but to continue striving for gold in every major competition. This surgery was necessary to ensure I can perform at the highest level for years to come. Setbacks are part of elite sport, but my mindset is about turning challenges — as I have done before — into opportunities to raise my performance.”
McClenaghan, 26, became the first gymnast to win an Olympic medal for Ireland when he took pommel horse gold in Paris.
He’s also the lone artistic gymnast to win a world championships medal for Ireland, taking pommel horse bronze in 2019 and gold at the last two editions in 2022 and 2023.
McClenaghan is from Northern Ireland and represents Ireland at the Olympics and worlds. Northern Ireland does not compete separately at those events, so athletes from Northern Ireland can choose to compete for Ireland or Great Britain.
He previously underwent left shoulder surgery in November 2018 after a labral tear.
The last gymnast other than McClenaghan to win a global pommel horse title was American Stephen Nedoroscik at the 2021 Worlds. Nedoroscik also took bronze at the Paris Games.
behind McClenaghan and Nariman Kurbanov of Kazakhstan.