Rhys McClenaghan in action during the men’s pommel horse qualification at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
If you want an early indication of how good a performance Rhys McClenaghan is in line to deliver on his pommel horse routine in today’s Olympic final (4.16pm Irish time) then gymnastics expert Mairéad Kavanagh has a pointer for you. At the start of his routine, the double world champion does a swing to handstand on the horse. This one act can fuel the rest of his routine.
“When you watch Rhys start, you kind of get the feeling, ‘Is he in his flow or isn’t he?’” Kavanagh says. “He does that flip handstand at the very start and once he hits it, bang! You’re kind of going, ‘OK, he’s on form, he’s ready’.”