When you've conquered the world .. what next? In Rhys McClenaghan’s case, it’s pizza, and lots of it.
Ireland’s newly-crowned gymnastics world champion joked his plan of action for the days ahead will be a far cry from the stamina sapping build up to his gold medal success in Liverpool.
"I’ll try to switch off from gymnastics, enjoy the success I’ve just had and in a couple of weeks come back probably hungrier than ever," McClenaghan said while posing for selfies.
Family, friends and well wishers greeted the Co Down gymnast on his return to Dublin Airport this afternoon.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The 23-year-old has endured his fair share of disappointments, most notably at the Tokyo Olympics.
He clearly has a steely resolve though, stating that his win at the world championships bodes well for his Olympic ambitions.
"I am now a world champion and that’s going to be a force to be reckoned with other gymnasts", he added.
"It sets a really exciting precedent for the future. That Olympic gold medal is the only one missing from my collection now, so my eyes are on that."
There was no shortage of praise in Terminal One for the man who's become the face of Irish gymnastics. A feeling reciprocated: "It's great to be home, back in the Emerald Isle" the young star said.
"The support of the Irish fans has just been incredible, the support out there in Liverpool was also incredible, seeing all the Irish flags around the arena was amazing."
Ciaran Gallagher, Irish Gymnastics CEO, is expecting "the Rhys factor" to reap big rewards.
"The kids idolise him, they see him in the gym and they see him at our events. Also we see how many have turned up today. The mums and dads have obviously let them skip school – hopefully nobody gets in trouble!
"They grew up with him, now they see what he achieves. For future generations this is not something that’s out of reach for an Irish gymnast – this is something that can be done."
"We have everything right in the system, the right people in the right places" Gallagher says.
"I’m just incredibly excited about the future".
Now Rhys rules the world, the future is bright for Irish gymnastics.
