Rhys McClenaghan: NI gymnast back home in Newtownards for Olympic Games build-up

Take a tour of his new gym with World & European champion McClenaghan

Pommel horse World and European champion Rhys McClenaghan's training base for next year's Olympics will be in his home town of Newtownards after the opening of a new facility.

McClenaghan, 23, has been based at Sports Ireland's National Gymnastics Training Centre in Dublin since 2018.

But he will now train at the new Origin Gymnastics centre in Newtownards opened by his coach Luke Carson.

"It's exciting to be back in gymnastics in my home town," said McClenaghan.

"It's a dream because this is where it all started when I was six years old."

The new facility, which Irish national coach Carson has worked for over a decade to make a reality, is located in the Blair Mayne Wellbeing & Leisure Complex in the north Down town.

'I can start my life outside of the gym'

McClenaghan says being able to train in his home town as opposed to spending Monday to Friday in Dublin "means I can kind of start my life outside of the gym as well".

The gymnastics star bought a house a number of months ago and is now hoping to get the time to kit out the property properly given that he's finally going to be living there full-time.

"There were some lonely times in that gym in Dublin when it was just myself although the numbers then did start to come in," added McClenaghan, who added a second European gold in April to the first world title that he secured in Liverpool last autumn.

"Luke was striving for his dreams of opening a gymnastics club and wherever Luke goes, I'll follow him because he's just as much a part of the success as I am."

McClenaghan, who clinched Commonwealth Games gold in Australia in 2018 and won silver for Northern Ireland in Birmingham last summer, also sees his presence back home as a means of giving back to his sport, with his role model status likely to attract potential young talent to the new facility.

"One of the things I'm most excited about is having a younger generation come through and follow my footsteps, surpassing my achievements and just seeing people enjoying the sport of gymnastics as much as I have throughout my life," he said.

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Luke Carson (left) has coached McClenaghan to World, European and Commonwealth Games gold medals and the Newtownards man will aim for the Olympic title next year in Paris

"It's about giving them that opportunity and that facility to actually come in here and practise gymnastics.

"I want people peering through the windows, seeing gymnastics and seeing me prepare for an Olympic Games."

The move from Dublin to Newtownards has received approval from Gymnastics Ireland and funding for the gymnasts from Sport Ireland is unchanged while back-up services such as physio will still be available in Dublin.

Carson, who competed for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games, said he was "filled with absolute pride" to be able to open the new facility which he has financed himself in order for his dream to be realised.

"I've dedicated my life to gymnastics and to understanding the art of gymnastics," said Carson.

"People often talk about the 10,000-hour rule, but it's estimated I've done over 13,000 hours within a gymnastics hall.

"I've really spent my entire life trying to understand the sport and now I want to put that into the gymnastic services that we provide here."

Montgomery will also train at new facility

McClenaghan's Irish team-mate, World Cup floor medallist Eamon Montgomery, will also be based at the Newtownards gym and Carson sees no difficulty in two venues being used to prepare the island's top gymnastic performers for international competition.

"Sport Ireland and Gymnastics Ireland have been an integral part of the journey and their support has been incredible," added Carson.

"Now that we're coming back to full-time training here in Northern Ireland, we'll link in more with Sport Northern Ireland."

From a personal point of view, Carson says the move will enable him to also have a proper family life as well with his wife and two daughters.

"My wife has had to essentially live the life of a single parent and that's very difficult for all of us," he added.

"I don't want to miss any more family time but that doesn't mean I'm switching off from performance.

"We're in Olympic qualification phase as of now in terms of working towards the World Championship in Antwerp in October which will be the first opportunity to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games."

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