Gymnastics Ireland has named a strong Men’s Artistic Gymnastics team for the 2026 European Championships, which will take place at Arena Zagreb in Croatia from August 19th to 23rd.
The Championships will bring together senior and junior gymnasts from across Europe, with the men’s event forming part of a two-week European Gymnastics programme in Zagreb, the first time the Croatian capital has staged the event.
Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan will headline the senior Irish team, returning to European competition on a stage where he has already made history for Ireland. McClenaghan became Ireland’s first Olympic gymnastics medallist when he won gold on the pommel horse at Paris 2024.
He will be joined in the senior squad by James Hickey, Chester Enriquez, Eamon Montgomery, Adam Steele and Daniel Fox, giving Ireland a strong spread of experience and emerging talent for the Championships.
The junior team will feature Robert Ward, Matthew Hickey, Finlay Hazelton and Evan Kinsella, with the Championships also carrying junior European medal opportunities across qualification, apparatus finals and the all-around competition.
Sergey Sizhanov and Luke Carson will coach the senior team, with Sizhanov also part of the junior coaching team alongside Wayne Healy and Scott Shearon.
Denis Donoghue and Colm O’Toole will represent Ireland among the judging panel, while Jonathan Stevenson has been named Head of Delegation.
The senior gymnasts will open their campaign on Wednesday, August 19th, with qualification also deciding the all-around medals. The junior qualification follows on Thursday, August 20th, with the junior team medals decided on the same day.
Friday evening will see the first part of the senior apparatus finals, covering floor, pommel horse and rings, with McClenaghan likely to be among the major Irish medal interests should he progress.
Saturday will feature the junior apparatus finals in the morning, followed by the second part of the senior apparatus finals in the afternoon, covering vault, parallel bars and high bar.
The Championships conclude on Sunday, August 23rd, with the junior all-around final in the morning and the senior team final in the afternoon.
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Image Credit: Gymnastics Ireland
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