At Glasgow 2026 the contrast could not be greater. McClenaghan competes now as the reigning Olympic champion, having topped the Pommel Horse podium at Paris 2024, and as the favourite for gold.

“That first Commonwealth Games gold medal was my arrival,” he said.

“It was me beating the current Olympic champion (England’s Max Whitlock, who won gold at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020). I still look at it with very fond memories.

“The Commonwealth Games is always special for me. It’s an event that only comes around once every four years, so that brings significance to it.

“There's also significance in representing Northern Ireland, because that's the only time we actually get to do that.”

McClenaghan missed the 2025 season following shoulder surgery, although it did give him the opportunity to participate in – and win – the Irish edition of TV show Dancing With The Stars.

He hopes the enforced break from competition ultimately made him “a better gymnast”. 

“I feel physically great, I feel physically ready, and hopefully at the Commonwealth Games I get to showcase that,” he said.

“This might be one of the toughest Commonwealth Games competitions I'll face. So of course I want to keep that tally of medals coming in.”

That tough competition includes reigning British Pommel Horse champion Reuben Ward (SCO) and England’s Alex Yolshin-Cash, who finished fifth at the 2025 World Championships.

But for McClenaghan, who also claimed silver at Birmingham 2022 behind England's Joe Fraser, the goal for Glasgow is clear.

“As long as I'm still here, I'm still wanting to win,” he said.

“I want to win every competition I go to. And the best way to make sure that I win competitions like the Commonwealth Games is to be the best version of myself.”

Dream debut awaits for Ruby Evans 

Glasgow 2026 features a mouth-watering mix of veteran stars and keen debutants in the Men’s and Women’s fields.

Among the first-timers hoping to make a McClenaghan-style impact is Wales’ Ruby Evans. 

“Since I was a little girl, I've always said that I really want to go to the Commonwealths,” the 19-year-old said.

“It was never ‘I want to be an Olympian’, it was always ‘I want to go to the Commonwealth Games for Wales’. 

“To now be selected for it, I'm really excited.”

Evans is no stranger to landmark moments. At Paris 2024 she became the first Welsh gymnast in 18 years to compete for Great Britain, before claiming silver on Floor at last year’s world championships – Wales’ first-ever individual worlds medal. 

Evans is also the 2026 British individual all-around champion and it’s a fellow Brit who is likely to be her biggest rival in Glasgow.

England’s Abigail Martin claimed Floor bronze behind Evans at the 2025 world championships, and finished eighth in the All-Around, two places ahead of the Welsh gymnast.

“They are all my friends, and there's no bad blood or anything,” Evans said. 

“The Welsh team, the English – it doesn't matter. We all go to camps together, we're all going to be training together.

“Maybe in camp we could be pushing each other because we can have a little peek over. But we've all got our routines set.

“If a medal comes out of it – a team medal – that would be the absolute dream. If Wales came home with a team medal, that would honestly be incredible.”

The Artistic Gymnastics competition, presented by Longines, starts on 24 July. For the full schedule, click here.