Latest news with #RhysMcClenaghan
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Olympic stars leave legacy in home towns after record-breaking Paris 2024 Games
The Paris 2024 legacy is already making a positive impact on local sport, thanks to the £100,000 Olympic Medallist Fund. Six athletes from Northern Ireland, representing both Team Ireland and Team GB, made history by winning an unprecedented seven medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The medal haul included four golds, one silver, and two bronze in Swimming, Rowing, and Gymnastics. Advertisement The Olympic Medallist Fund, administered by Sport NI and made possible through funding from the Department for Communities, was divided among the medallists, with a club or organisation close to their heart to receive an extra funding boost. Each gold medal earned £20,000, silver medals received £10,000, and bronze medallists were awarded £5,000. READ MORE: "We were very close to losing Kirstie' - BBC presenter opens up on miscarriage heartache with wife alongside All-Ireland winner in brave interview READ MORE: 'I have the right not to speak to you' Rory McIlroy breaks silence to explain his USPGA anger The funds are being used to purchase new equipment, expanding opportunities for participation in sport. Advertisement Olympic medallists Daniel Wiffen (St Patrick's Grammar School), Rhys McClenaghan (Origin Gymnastics), Hannah Scott (Bann Rowing Club), Jack McMillan (Bangor Swimming Club), Rebecca Shorten (Methodist College Belfast Rowing Club), and Philip Doyle (Belfast Boat Club) have each chosen a club or organisation to benefit from a share of the fund. Minister Lyons expressed his pride, stating: "As Sports Minister it was a real privilege to cheer on our local athletes at last year's Paris Olympics. The incredible success of Daniel Wiffen, Rhys McClenaghan, Hannah Scott, Jack Milligan, Rebecca Shorten and Philip Doyle put Northern Ireland on the global stage. "For a small nation, our athletes consistently punch above their weight, thanks to their dedication and sacrifices, and the unwavering support of coaches, school staff, families, and support teams. "Through the Olympic Medallist Fund, these sporting heroes can give back to their communities and sports, creating pathways for greater participation and inspiring our future medallists. This also aligns with the goal of Active Living – Sport and Physical Activity Strategy for Northern Ireland to have 'More People More Active More Often'. Advertisement "It's been inspiring to see the impact of this funding at Rhys McClenaghan's Origin Gymnastics facility, which I'm confident will nurture our next future champion." Sport NI Interim CEO Richard Archibald commented: "The six clubs and organisations chosen by our medallists were instrumental in their journey to the podium in Paris. With their support, equipment, time and expertise, they grew a love of sport within each of these athletes which turned into an Olympic medal years later. "Our Paris medallists are an inspiration to young people within their communities and thanks to the Olympic Medallist Fund these organisations can now support other young people to achieve their potential in sport and hopefully follow in these medallists' footsteps." Bangor Swimming Club has been bestowed with new training and competition gear, while St Patricks Grammar School's gym for pupils has seen expansion. Methodist College Belfast Rowing Club is now equipped to propel an elite junior sculler onto the international stage with a top-tier single scull boat, Bann Rowing Club has improved their fleet with carbon fibre single sculls and oars, and Belfast Boat Club has invested in new fitness equipment including support seats, enhancing accessibility to rowing for those with disabilities. Advertisement Olympic gold medallist Rhys McClenaghan from Newtownards has directed a £20,000 grant to Origin Gymnastics in his hometown, which will vastly improve the equipment available to budding gymnasts. Rhys remarked: "I feel like this grant gave me the responsibility to leave a legacy after my Olympic win. I couldn't think of a better way to leave a legacy than to donate the money to the fastest growing gymnastics club in the country, Origin Gymnastics. This will hopefully allow young gymnasts to follow in my foot steps and give them opportunities and equipment that I didn't have growing up in this sport. Origin offers a sense of community in my home town of Newtownards and gives everybody in the local area a true love for the sport of gymnastics." Luke Carson, CEO & Founder of Origin Gymnastics, shared his pride in local hero Rhys's personal journey which has greatly impacted the community. He asserted: "Rhys has always been a shining example for our local community-his journey is a testament to the power of dedication, resilience, and chasing your dreams. I was genuinely honoured when he chose Origin as the recipient of this funding. As a new gymnastics club in the heart of Ards, we're passionate about showing why gymnastics is a sport every child should have the chance to experience. This funding has enabled us to invest in new equipment, helping us raise the bar even further in what we can offer to our members."
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Northern Ireland's Paris heroes give back to local sporting clubs through Olympic Medallist Fund
Northern Irish athletes returned seven medals from France two years ago, including four golds, which has unlocked a significant amount of funding to be invested back into local sport. The Olympic Medallist Fund, which is distributed by Sport NI and made possible through funding from the Department for Communities, was split between the various athletes, with gold medals being awarded £20,000, silver getting £10,000 and bronze worth £5,000. Each athlete who won a medal was asked to select a club to award their funding to, with the money being used to fund new equipment and expand opportunities for people to participate in sport. All six of Daniel Wiffen (St Patrick's Grammar School), Rhys McClenaghan (Origin Gymnastics), Hannah Scott (Bann Rowing Club), Jack McMillan (Bangor Swimming Club), Rebecca Shorten (Methodist College Belfast Rowing Club) and Philip Doyle (Belfast Boat Club) were able to select clubs to allocate funding to. Minister for Sport Gordon Lyons commented: 'As Sports Minister it was a real privilege to cheer on our local athletes at last year's Paris Olympics. The incredible success of Daniel Wiffen, Rhys McClenaghan, Hannah Scott, Jack Milligan, Rebecca Shorten and Philip Doyle put Northern Ireland on the global stage. 'For a small nation, our athletes consistently punch above their weight, thanks to their dedication and sacrifices, and the unwavering support of coaches, school staff, families, and support teams. 'Through the Olympic Medallist Fund, these sporting heroes can give back to their communities and sports, creating pathways for greater participation and inspiring our future medallists. This also aligns with the goal of Active Living – Sport and Physical Activity Strategy for Northern Ireland to have 'More People More Active More Often'. 'It's been inspiring to see the impact of this funding at Rhys McClenaghan's Origin Gymnastics facility, which I'm confident will nurture our next future champion.' Sport NI;s interim chief executive Richard Archibald added: 'The six clubs and organisations chosen by our medallists were instrumental in their journey to the podium in Paris. With their support, equipment, time and expertise, they grew a love of sport within each of these athletes which turned into an Olympic medal years later. 'Our Paris medallists are an inspiration to young people within their communities and thanks to the Olympic Medallist Fund these organisations can now support other young people to achieve their potential in sport and hopefully follow in these medallists' footsteps.' Bangor Swimming Club will benefit from new poolside training and competition equipment; St Patricks Grammar School expanded their in-school gym for pupils; Methodist College Belfast Rowing Club can offer an elite junior sculler the chance to compete at international level with a competition sized single scull boat; Bann Rowing Club will add carbon fibre single sculls and oars; and Belfast Boat Club purchased new fitness equipment and support seats to allow people with disabilities to participate in rowing. Olympic gold medallist Rhys McClenaghan chose Origin Gymnastics in his hometown of Newtownards to receive £20,000 which has gone towards new equipment to expand the opportunities for beginners in the sport. "I feel like this grant gave me the responsibility to leave a legacy after my Olympic win. I couldn't think of a better way to leave a legacy than to donate the money to the fastest growing gymnastics club in the country, Origin Gymnastics,' said McClenaghan. "This will hopefully allow young gymnasts to follow in my foot steps and give them opportunities and equipment that I didn't have growing up in this sport. Origin offers a sense of community in my home town of Newtownards and gives everybody in the local area a true love for the sport of gymnastics." Luke Carson, chief executive and founder of Origin Gymnastics, as well as McClenaghan's coach, added: "Rhys has always been a shining example for our local community – his journey is a testament to the power of dedication, resilience, and chasing your dreams. "I was genuinely honoured when he chose Origin as the recipient of this funding. As a new gymnastics club in the heart of Ards, we're passionate about showing why gymnastics is a sport every child should have the chance to experience. "This funding has enabled us to invest in new equipment, helping us raise the bar even further in what we can offer to our members."
Irish Daily Mirror
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Olympic gold not enough for Irish star who outlines huge ambition
Olympic gold medalist Rhys McClenaghan says he wants to become the GOAT at pommel horse. The Irish gymnast achieved a lifelong dream last summer when he won gold in Paris - three years after his heartache at Tokyo, where one tiny slip cost him dearly. But he isn't about to settle back just yet and enjoy the spoils of a career that has brought him two world titles and three European crowns, as well as his Olympic success. McClenaghan wants to become the greatest of all time - and that means winning more World Championships than anyone in the history of the sport. Asked if he wanted to become the GOAT, he said, speaking to the first issue of the Red Bull Ireland Newsletter: 'Well, that is definitely a goal of mine. It'd be awesome when you think about it. 'Nobody's ever won four world titles on pommel horse. There have been about five or six gymnasts who have got three, so that's a really interesting statistic. 'I've got two world titles on pommel at the minute, so I need to get the third and then that'll put me into the position of being the greatest of all time, which is an exciting thought. 'But at the same time, while that goal is really exciting, it's also important to be really satisfied with what I have done. 'Nobody else has ever won every single title available, winning a Commonwealth, European, Worlds and Olympics. 'And that's something that I will sit back and think about, like, 'That is incredible that I've done that'.' McClenaghan (25) hopes that he can continue the improvements he has shown in his career so far. 'It definitely didn't happen overnight. I've been one of the most consistent gymnasts on pommel horse,' he said. 'My trajectory and my gymnastics career have been very linear, I've hit all of the stages on the way. It's not like I just won my second competition ever at the Olympics. 'It's been European Championships, World golds and then Olympic golds. Now it's about maintaining that because I've won every title there is to win.' It won't be easy, he acknowledged, given the tweaks to the rules that are made to help keep gymnasts on their toes. 'This is a really interesting time for all gymnasts really, because through each Olympic cycle, every four years, the rules change ever so slightly,' said McClenaghan. 'This is done to keep up with the evolution of gymnastics, to make the routines more appealing for fans to watch and make it more exciting and difficult for the gymnasts as well. 'The structure of the rules has changed ever so slightly. For instance, the amount of skills in a routine used to be 10 and now it's dropped to eight to encourage more difficult skills being put out there and increase the risk, which also makes that execution score a little bit more valuable as well so ultimately it'll bring the competition a lot closer than it already is. 'That's forced me to adjust my routine, so it's definitely not going to be the same routine that I have been doing for the last couple of years. 'It's a brand-new routine for floor and pommel horse. This year is an adjustment phase for all gymnasts. 'Obviously, everything's leading to the next gold medal, but there are also other goals there as well, like getting back to competing, getting these new routines out, new skills out. 'It's going to be a year of kind of learning and adjusting.'
The Irish Sun
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
RTE star reveals exciting ‘next step' with girlfriend as he admits ‘it was the light at end of the tunnel'
RTE Dancing With The Stars winner Rhys McClenaghan has opened up on the exciting "next chapter" with his girlfriend. The pro gymnast has been on a winning streak over the past two years - from Paris Olympics to 3 Rhys McClenaghan won this year's Dancing With The Stars series 3 Rhys won gold for Ireland in the 2024 Paris Olympics 3 Rhys is making an exciting move with his girlfriend At the height of his career, The Down native has been dating long-term girlfriend Emilee Carr for over five years. Emilee is also a professional gymnast and the lovebirds first met as kids while they were both in training. The Olympian admitted he found it "tough" to make time for his relationship whilst rehearsing for DWTS and training in the gym. READ MORE IN RHY MCCLENAGHAN The 25-year-old told "Even if it was a phone call, it had to be a short one in between training or between a video piece for DWTS." However, less than a week after the show finished, the happy pair moved in to their brand-new self-build together. Rhys beamed: "It was tough, but the light at the end of the tunnel was moving in together. I was super excited for that." MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN The couple's home has been a work in process for over two years, but Rhy's family has been majorly involved. He said: "It's been a big project but one that I'm happy to have my dad's help with. He's a joiner so it's nice to get an insight into his world and what he's done his entire life. Rhys breaks silence after DWTS win "He's been doing so much with me, it's been a nice process. It's such an important thing to do stuff with your parents and I've grown closer with my dad because of this. I've grown to appreciate and respect him even more so now." Rhys revealed that himself and Emilee spent their "first night" in the home back in April. But, the star confessed: "There's still lots to do, but it's liveable now. It was a special night and I'm glad it's finally here." This comes after the sporting champion was expected to make his The Newtownards man, 25, was due to land in Leipzig at the end of this month. SET BACK But he revealed on the Irishman will instead focus on the World Championships in Indonesia in October. The news . "I won't be competing at this year's European Championships . "I tried my best to push through preparation but an injury kept holding me back. "I chose to prioritise being healthy and recovering for future competitions this year and be sure that I can put out my best work yet. "I may not be retaining my European title but the path to being the GOAT is still very clear."
RTÉ News
06-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Injury rules Rhys McClenaghan out European Championships gold medal defence
Olympic pommel horse gold medallist Rhys McClenaghan has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming European Championships in Leipzig because of an unspecified injury. As a result the 25-year-old will not be able to complete a hat-trick of European titles to go with the gold medals won in Paris last summer and at the previous two World Championships. McClenaghan opted to take a break from the sport following his Olympics success, though he was not fully out of the public gaze and took part in RTÉ's Dancing with the Stars, where he was crowned the eventual winner at the end of the 12-week show. It is understood the injury is not too serious and McClenaghan will now focus on the defence of his world title, with those championships taking place in Indonesia in October. Outlining the current situation, the Newtownards native posted on Instagram: "I tried my best to push through preparation but an injury kept holding me back. "I chose to prioritise being healthy and recovering for future competitions this year and be sure that I can put out my best work yet.
