SSE Arena: Rhys McClenaghan relives his gold winning routine from Paris

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Transcript

00:00Rhys, going into the Olympic Games, you were the man to beat. Two-time world champion.

00:13In defining moments like that, how do you deal with the pressure?

00:18I don't know why I was so calm before the routine there. I was very nervous, but I am

00:25nervous for every competition I go to, every training session as well I go to, and I think

00:29that's what makes the difference in moments like that.

00:32And you said, just to me then, in Airshop, watching it back, that was one of the most

00:38difficult routines you've ever performed. Explain to the audience what it entailed.

00:45So, I mean, that was the most difficult routine I've ever performed, and it was the only time

00:52I performed that routine on an international stage. I knew I needed to put out a huge score

00:58to get that gold medal. I could have very easily, as well, saddled for a lower difficulty

01:03and secured myself a medal of any colour, but we were going for that one medal, that

01:09one medal only. And thankfully the risk paid off this time.

01:13It truly is such a remarkable, remarkable moment. Have your feet touched the ground

01:19since?

01:20Barely. It's just been such a crazy thing to wrap your head around. I've trained my

01:25entire life, since I was six years old, for this little thing around my neck, and it's

01:30just done. It's just done, like that. But my gymnastics career is not done by any means,

01:37so, like many other athletes here, I'm hopefully going to be coming back in four years' time,

01:42seeing all of you guys again, and having you around my neck.

01:48Now that is a good round. So, you've only got two of these underbelts. You had the onlookers

01:55of Max Whitlock and everyone. The moment you landed, you saw in that VT there, the routine.

02:02Did you know you'd steal the deal? Was it a dead serve?

02:05No, definitely not. Then it's in the hands of the judges to decide, was that routine

02:10good enough to win a gold medal? But for me, that celebration after that routine was just

02:15doing my job. As I was on the on horse, it felt like training. I always tricked myself

02:20into thinking it was just myself and my coach in that training gym, but as soon as your

02:24feet hit the floor, you realise, oh, I'd done it when it mattered. That was the Olympic

02:29Games final, and I couldn't have done it much better.

02:32Well, put your hands together for Max!