Rhys McClenaghan: Ireland gymnast belies pressure to retain title and qualify for Olympics
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Rhys McClenaghan in action during the pommel horse final in Antwerp on Saturday
The mark of a true champion is performing when the pressure is greatest.
Rhys McClenaghan is a champion and proved it again by retaining his world pommel horse title in some style in Antwerp.
Going last of the eight finalists there was not only the pressure of defending the gold medal he won 12 months ago in Liverpool, but a place at the Paris Olympics next summer was also on the line.
The Ards gymnast looked nerveless, at least to those of us watching, as he kept his composure, performing an extremely difficult routine and dare I say, making it look easy.
His score from the judges of 15.100 was well ahead of American Khoi Young, who was second earning 14.966, with Ahmad Abu Al Soud from Jordan in third place.
"It feels great, it feels shocking hearing it, similar to the first time I got the world title last year," explained McClenaghan, delighted not only at winning gold again but claiming that one place on offer for the Olympics.
"That's the task of gymnastics isn't it, that's all of our jobs here in Antwerp is to make gymnastics look easy and it certainly is not.
"I'm breathing a sigh of relief, I think that's maybe what I'm most happy about is qualifying to the Olympic Games for a second time, that's just incredible and it's a weight off my shoulders.
"I would have had to have medalled to make it to the Olympic Games and I'm glad I've completed that performance today."
'Keeping focused'
Double Olympic champion Max Whitlock finished fifth after falling during his routine. That opened the door for McClenaghan, and he fairly marched through it.
Whitlock was taking part in his first World Championships since 2019 and his first major event since winning gold in Tokyo at the Olympics over two years ago.
His return to international competition came last month when he beat McClenaghan at the Paris World Cup.
In qualification and the team final this week, Whitlock had twice performed his routine without blemish, both times scoring 15.266.
In the final he was looking sublime until a small mistake saw him lose his balance and come off the pommel. The 30-year-old looked in shock and disbelief as to what had happened. Even the greatest don't win every time.
McClenaghan, drawn to go last, didn't notice. "I think not watching everybody really helped in that situation, so I didn't see any routines.
"That's why I was just asking Max what happened there because I didn't see any scores, any routines and I think that's what kept me in the zone and kept me focused on my routine today and inevitably what won me the gold medal."
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Rhys McClenaghan reacts after realising he has won the gold medal in Antwerp as silver medallist Khoi Young looks on
The pressure of defending a world title, of Olympic qualification and maybe the return of Whitlock to competition seemed to impact on McClenaghan's build-up to Antwerp.
He declined any media requests before the competition and normally an avid user of social media, which he uses in a very positive way to share his gymnastics journey, he hasn't posted for the past few weeks.
The results prove however that those decisions taken with coach Luke Carson were correct.
"I've learnt more in the training gym; I'd say this time around. This was a very challenging build up for me to this competition. The last couple of weeks I deleted social media, I really kept in the zone, and I feel like that really paid off today," he said.
Back-to-back world titles at the age of 24 to go along with two European titles and a Commonwealth Games gold medal, McClenaghan is one of Northern Ireland's most successful athletes ever, in any sport. Don't even bother to argue.
The exciting thing is that there is much more to come. An Olympic medal is missing from the collection, and he will compete in Paris next year as the world champion.
He'll probably have to up the degree of difficulty in a newly crafted routine if he wants gold. You can't hope or expect Whitlock and one or two others to make mistakes.
But McClenaghan has proven he can produce under the greatest of pressure.
That is his pedigree as the champion he is.