Olympic gymnastics champion Rhys McClenaghan settled for sixth place in the men’s pommel horse final at the Glasgow International Centre on Thursday, describing the event as a “training day” despite missing out on a medal. The 27-year-old scored 13.0 points, finishing behind gold medalist Jordan Carroll of Canada and two Scottish gymnasts—Reuben Ward and Cameron Lynn—who took silver and bronze respectively.

McClenaghan attributed his result to a minor error on a new mount at the start of his routine, which was not credited by the judges. “It didn’t get off to a great start,” McClenaghan said. “The judges didn’t count my mount and that was a new mount I was trying to achieve. It was done successfully in qualifying, but there in the final I just put a little bit too much pressure on my left leg and they don’t credit the skill.”

Despite the setback, McClenaghan remained focused on upcoming competitions, including the European and world championships. The two-time world champion, who won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics after falling in the Tokyo final, emphasized that the Commonwealth Games were part of his preparation cycle. “This is a training day for me, so we go back to the gym as soon as I can, and we tackle it just like we tackle any training day,” he said. “Even if I had won gold here it would still have been treated as a stepping-stone. We’ve got our eye on the prize for the Europeans.”

Reuben Ward, who had qualified for the final in first place, held his composure to secure the silver medal, while his teammate Cameron Lynn defied expectations by claiming bronze. Ward expressed particular satisfaction in sharing the podium with Lynn, highlighting the significance of the achievement for both athletes.