Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan failed to qualify for the pommel horse final at the World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam. His score in the qualifications was 14.400, which was enough only for 10th place.
McClenaghan, who is 27 years old, missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from shoulder surgery. Despite this, he arrived in Rotterdam as a two-time world champion and three-time European gold medallist.
This was his third major competition since returning to competitive rhythm. In July, he competed at the Commonwealth Games, where he finished sixth, which was also his first major competition after the injury. Subsequently, in August, he took seventh place at the European Championships in Zagreb.
The score of 14.400 in Rotterdam proved insufficient to progress among the best. McClenaghan thus missed the final in the discipline in which he had previously achieved his greatest successes, including Olympic gold.
His return after a long break due to shoulder surgery has clearly not yet reached the level he was at before the injury. However, his appearances at the Commonwealth Games, the European Championships in Zagreb and the World Championships in Rotterdam represent steps in the process of regaining form.
