RHYS MCCLENAGHAN SUCCESSFULLY defended his gold medal on the pommel horse at the Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp this afternoon.
McClenaghan went back-to-back at the worlds with a score of 15.100, pipping America’s Khoi Young, who finished with a score of 14.966.
Jordan’s Ahmad Al Soud – second to McClenaghan last year – took the bronze medal, scoring 14.633. This win is sweeter for McClenaghan given the strength of the field: Olympic champion Max Whitlock, who sat out last year’s world final, competed this time around, finishing fifth.
The victory also guarantees McClenaghan’s spot at the Paris Olympics next year, where he will bid to add an Olympic medal to his stunning haul from the world championships.
“‘It feels great”, grinned McClenaghan. “It feels shocking hearing it, similar to the first time I got the world title last year, I can’t believe you’re saying those words! It’s all of our jobs here in Antwerp to make gymnastics look easy and it certainly is not! I am most happy about qualifying to the Olympic games for the second time, it’s a weight off my shoulders.”
Elsewhere, Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade won her second world gold in the women’s vault ahead of US star Simone Biles at the world championships in Antwerp on Saturday.
Olympic champion Andrade scored 14.750 points to take the title ahead of Biles (14.549) who fell on the landing of her first jump but took silver and her 28th world medal.
South Korea’s Yeo Seo-jeong scored 14.416 to win bronze.
