'He's an absolute credit' - Northern Ireland's latest Olympic Games hero Rhys McClenaghan celebrated after golden moment

The Newtownards ace has since shot into superstardom by winning two World Championship crowns, three European Championship titles and also won silver at his second Commonwealth Games in 2022 - but the Olympics is the biggest stage of all and he’s now cemented his legacy as one of Northern Ireland’s sporting greats.

Banishing the demons of Tokyo when he came off the apparatus early in his routine to finish seventh, Team Ireland’s McClenaghan has now added to his country’s success in Paris, following up medal glory for Daniel Wiffen (Team Ireland, gold), Jack McMillan (Team GB, gold), Hannah Scott (Team GB, gold), Philip Doyle (Team Ireland, bronze) and Rebecca Shorten (Team GB, silver) in fine fashion.

The 25-year-old has had to carry the weight of pressure and expectation on his shoulders for many years and Heatley, who serves as CEO at Commonwealth Games NI, said he’s an “absolute credit” to himself and the sport.

"I go back to the Gold Coast Games in 2018 when he won gold and being there when he was 18...he came out of nowhere and delivered a performance,” said Heatley. “When you're standing at the side and you're one of the first people he bumps into and you're able to share those moments with him at such a young age, it's special.

"Then you see the progression to what he is now and it's fantastic. He carries himself really well and he's an absolute credit. There has been a lot of talk over the last number of years about sport and what is really pleasing is when you see our Northern Irish athletes, they don't just win, but they win with grace. They do it the right way which is lovely to see. They're a fantastic representation of who we are."

McClenaghan had to see off competition from the likes of three-time Olympic champion Max Whitlock to write his name into the history books and Heatley believes the high standards set in training help him produce his best when it matters most.

"Luke (Carson, coach) and him know they just needed to forget about Tokyo and they have,” he added. “It was literally a slip and they've been incredibly professional in everything they've done.

"Rhys is a double world champion and has it. He has been brilliant for the sport and shown that gymnastics can be a lot of fun...we've seen over the years the number of people that want to get into gymnastics and he has been a fantastic role model in all of that.

"He's really clinical. The beauty of it, just like Daniel (Wiffen), is because they work so hard they know what they are capable of. It's not arrogance - it's self-confidence based upon fact.

"Rhys has pressure every day when he's in the gym because he delivers his routine to a level that is required at the Olympic Games, so when he goes out onto the floor he doesn't need to anything extra, he just needs to deliver what he has done Monday to Friday in the gym.

"He is really clinical around his preparation, they look for all those marginal gains and they keep pushing the difficulty of routines, which is brilliant. He isn't afraid to take risks and it's fantastic for the public to see it. He has absolute confidence in what he's doing."