Ireland enjoyed a highly successful outing at the Antalya World Cup as Eamon Montgomery, Rhys McClenaghan and James Hickey all claimed medals in an event that forms part of the qualification pathway towards the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
Montgomery opened the finals with a silver medal on floor, delivering a polished and precise routine to score 13.833. Having qualified fifth for the final, the Irish gymnast produced one of the standout performances of the day to secure his place on the podium.
McClenaghan then led the way on pommel horse, taking gold after posting 13.900. The Olympic champion had qualified third on Thursday but rose to the top of the standings in the final, setting the mark to beat early and holding first place through the remainder of the competition.
There was further Irish success in the same event as Hickey claimed bronze with a score of 13.566. Competing in just his third senior World Cup, Hickey’s podium finish underlined both his promise and Ireland’s growing depth in the discipline.
The medal haul capped an impressive overall team display from the Irish men’s squad in Turkey, with Daniel Fox, Oisin O’Connell and Chester Enriquez also producing performances that suggested finals potential.
“It’s been a really strong day for the Irish men’s team in Antalya,” said Sally Johnson, Director of Performance and Technical at Gymnastics Ireland. “Eamon Montgomery’s silver medal on floor is a real statement result — finishing on the podium ahead of an Olympic silver medallist at this level in Artistic Gymnastics World Cup competition shows exactly the standard he is capable of delivering.
“On pommel horse it was a fantastic result for Ireland, with Rhys McClenaghan taking gold and James Hickey securing bronze. Rhys continues to progress strongly through his return to competition — the routine is developing well and the momentum is clearly building again. For James, this being his third senior World Cup and reaching the podium is a fantastic achievement.”
Johnson also pointed to the wider significance of the team’s showing, praising the contributions of Enriquez, O’Connell and Fox and highlighting the value of ranking points gained at World Cup level.
“With six gymnasts competing on the World Cup stage, medals on the board and valuable ranking points gained, it’s been a very positive day for the programme and a strong reflection of the progress being made across the team,” she said.
Gymnastics Ireland CEO Ciaran Gallagher also praised the squad’s return to international competition.
“Superb results from the guys in Turkey,” said Gallagher. “Rhys back at the top of the podium, a well deserved return to the medals for Eamon after a long road back to competition and a well deserved podium finish for James as one of the youngest gymnasts in the field.
“It’s been a superb return to the circuit for our guys and it’s also important to note the performances of Dan on Rings, Oisin on High-Bar and Chester on Floor, all of whom demonstrated clearly that they are final potential gymnasts.”
The results marked a strong outing for Ireland at one of the key early events on the road to Los Angeles 2028, with the team leaving Antalya with medals, momentum and further evidence of strength across the men’s programme.
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