“I’m confident I can do it, for sure,” the Newtownards man said of his prospects of returning to the top.

REIGNING OLYMPIC champion Rhys McClenaghan has vowed to return to the top after a disappointing World Championships, insisting he remains confident of challenging for medals at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

The Newtownards gymnast just missed out on the final in Rotterdam last weekend, having finished seventh at the European Championships in Zagreb two months earlier.

The results have fallen short of his ambitions for 2026, but the 27-year-old believes they can provide valuable lessons as he seeks to regain the form that carried him to Olympic gold in Paris as he works his way back to the elite level after undergoing shoulder surgery last year.

McClenaghan also dismissed suggestions from former Olympic medallist Filipe Ude that he should consider stepping away from the sport.

Ude, who claimed silver at the 2008 Games, responded to a social media post in which McClenaghan had expressed his determination to improve and return to the top in his sport.

’You are not the best anymore, and that is ok,’ the Croatian posted. ‘Admit to yourself and take time for yourself and just enjoy your life and let it go my friend’.

Ude, 40, subsequently clarified that he intended no disrespect, describing McClenaghan as ‘a legend’.

McClenaghan believes such negativity will only fuel his determination to add to his legacy.“I’m the current Olympic champion, and I should remember that,” McClenaghan said at a Red Bull launch in Dublin.

“And I’ve built my way to the top before, I’ve gone through disappointments.

“I understand how fragile the results in this sport can be. One small mistake is the difference, and that small mistake shouldn’t really define you.

“He’s one of the older gymnasts that has always been trying to make the pommel final for a long time, and I guess what he was showing to me, he’s almost like a representative of the negative outlook on my career at the minute.

“I’d say that’s very minimal to the amount of positive outlooks that are on my career at the minute too.

“The amount of positive support and encouraging words that I’ve received have been definitely outweighing those negative comments.

“But I guess you can see him as a representative of the negative thoughts - and I think a mindset like that, there’s no coincidence of him not achieving any major medals since 2008.“

McClenaghan also believes the new scoring system has contributed to younger gymnasts making an immediate impact at senior level.

Changes have reduced the number of skills counted in a routine from 10 to eight, a format with which younger competitors are already familiar from their junior careers.

McClenaghan said established gymnasts had faced a more difficult transition, having previously built routines around the longer format - but insists he has no complaints as the changes have helped make competitions more competitive.

He also welcomed a new judging mechanism used during the apparatus finals in Rotterdam, under which judges recorded deductions electronically.

However, he would like greater transparency, with individual judges’ decisions and subsequent reviews made publicly available.

The gymnast endured a difficult period following shoulder surgery, having spent much of 2025 training with pain before beginning a lengthy recovery.

McClenaghan feels his body is adapting again to the demands of elite competition.

“I feel like I’m really coming out the other side of it,” he said.

“My body’s adapting again to training, to the routine, to the training load in general, and hopefully 2027 will be a lot more pain-free.”

Despite being one of Ireland’s leading Olympic medal prospects, he faces a demanding qualification campaign.

The process begins early next year, with the World Series leading to the World Championships in China, forming a crucial part of the route to Los Angeles.

But only three places are available for pommel horse specialists.

McClenaghan recalled having to win the 2023 World Championships to secure his place at the Paris Olympics.

“I need to maintain standard, to be one of the best in the world, undoubtedly, to even just get my ticket to the Olympics,” he acknowledged.

A planned visit to Los Angeles and a holiday in Iceland will precede his return to training.

“I’m confident I can do it, for sure,” McClenaghan said of his prospects of returning to the top.

“I’m only seeing the positives and only seeing the pathway to becoming the best in the world again.”