Commonwealth Games: NI gymnast Rhys McClenaghan wins pommel horse silver medal

Rhys McClenaghan claimed his and Northern Ireland's second Commonwealth Games gymnastics medal with a silver in the men's pommel horse final.

The 2018 champion was beaten to gold by England's Joe Fraser who produced a near-flawless routine to score 14.833.

A minor slip disrupted but did not derail McClenaghan's routine as his 14.133 was not enough to threaten Fraser.

Earlier NI's Eamon Montgomery finished fifth in the floor final.

McClenaghan cut a disappointed figure upon completion of his routine, knowing that it would not be enough to put him at the top of the leaderboard.

"It's mixed emotions really because at first yes, I was disappointed, because it wasn't my best routine and I would have had the same reaction in training," he reflected.

"I was super-happy with the first half of that routine and also part of that reaction was getting so close to getting through that very clean routine but there was just that little hiccup in the middle.

"I'm just glad I stayed on the pommel horse. That's the number one goal of any gymnastics apparatus routine: stay on and finish the routine, and I feel like that's the reason there's a medal wrapped around my neck."

Less than two months ago McClenaghan's very involvement in the Games appeared over when the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) ruled that he and team-mates Montgomery and Ewan McAteer could not perform for NI as they compete for Ireland in international competition.

It was a decision roundly met with disdain and while the FIG did eventually submit and grant the trio special dispensation, it was not before a protracted stand-off.

"I know I'm going to look back on this medal and say 'that's the time we almost didn't go'," McClenaghan said.

"I couldn't be prouder of the team I'm here with, Eamon and Ewan did their job getting to the finals, making history as the most successful NI gymnastics team that has ever come to the Commonwealth Games.

"We take pride in the and I'm glad I've contributed a medal."

'It's about getting the highest score'

McClenaghan's team lodged an unsuccessful inquiry into the difficulty score he received (5.600), but in truth even if the judges had ruled in his favour, he would have been well short of Birmingham's Fraser.

While not the gold of four years ago, or the immense score he registered in qualifying at last year's Olympics, a silver medal represents a welcome podium return for the Newtownards native after disappointment in the Olympic final and the World Championships.

"The ultimate goal is to get the highest score possible in gymnastics," he continued.

"Some people get too wrapped up in trying to get the most difficult routine or trying to get the cleanest routine but it's actually about the highest score, and trying to be better than everybody else in the world.

"I believe one day I'll do that."

Montgomery produced a fine performance in the floor final to just miss out on a medal as his slight stumble at the end of his routine possibly cost him a place on the podium.

His mark of 13.666 left him 0.30 behind bronze medal winner England's Giarnni Regini-Moran, whose team-mate Jake Jarman superbly took gold with a superb routine which earned him 14.666.

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