And so Rhys McClenaghan has arrived at the top of the mountain. Olympic gold his crowning glory.
Watching the pommel horse final was a gripping 40 minutes or so.
A week ago, Stephen Nedoroscik's potential as a gold medallist was flagged up by RTÉ commentator Colm Murray; in qualifying both he and McClenaghan posted the same score. Max Whitlock, in this his swansong event, could not be discounted. And then there was Nariman Kurbanov from Kazakhstan.
And it was the latter who set the target in the final, though to me and my untutored eye, Max Whitlock's routine looked impressive, that was until he lacked a variety in his movements towards the end. "You only use so many elements (types of movement), you then have to change. If not, the general person in the crowd would get bored," that was Colm Murray's summation of the scoring in gymnastics. I did take notes on what he had to say, you know!
And then Rhys took to the horse, exactly three years on from when his maiden Olympic Games ended as a result of a minor slip in the final. European and World titles would follow, catapulting him as the man to beat.
The sizeable Irish crowd in the Bercy Arena gave Rhys a huge welcome, cheered his every turn and twist as went through his routine. The cheering grew louder, yet one feared that his hand might slip off the edge, but that's part of the thrill. The pommel horse, like all the other artistic gymnastic disciplines, is so much more impressive in the flesh. Simone Biles, a half an hour earlier, pounding on to that vault and adding to her medal haul, is better watched live.
McCleneghan then landed on the floor with a kind of thump. The packed arena were appreciative of his efforts. Kurbanov's score was 15.434, an impressive mark. And then we all looked up at that screen in the middle; target score on the left and then a graphic, after what felt like an eternity, would reveal 15.533 as McClenaghan's score. Our man was in front.
A short break in the action. Over to you Stephen Nedoroscik. The United States following in the crowd was substantial and Nedoroscik was performing to a stirring soundtrack. His score of 15.300 was met by huge cheers from the Irish contingent; Nedoroscik and McCleneghan would hug each other. They're good friends, but the man from Newtownards, even with three participants still to perform, had gold in the bag.
The 25-year-old's climb to the top of the mountain was complete. Of course he will want to stay there. He turned to Nedoroscik in the press conference afterwards and said: "LA baby!" McClenaghan will be 29 as the gymnastics is concluding in Los Angeles.
Golden moment for Rhys
And while he did not know that his performance would deliver gold as soon as he finished his routine, Ireland's latest Olympic gold medallist knew he had executed something special
"I knew that I had done my job, that I went through the most difficult routine I could do on this, for doing it under that amount of pressure," was McClenaghan's reaction when he spoke to the waiting press.
"That's where the tears and emotions came from really. What an amazing final to be a part of. I said to Stephen that this is the best pommel horse final that has ever happened in the history of men's gymnastics. To be a part of that is absolutely incredible."
McClenaghan lamented the fact that he didn't get into the 9s in the execution. All gymnasts want that 'perfect 10' but that chase of perfection, a goal that isn't always attainable, is what drives those at the top forward.
For McClenaghan, a weight has now been lifted off him. His trajectory, after World and European success, had to show an Olympic gold on some point of the graph. He knew that Nedoroscik could do a huge difficulty and pull it off when it mattered, but even the American knew that the Newtownards man had set a mark that was beyond his reach.
And so a third gold medal for Ireland at these Games, in a sport we never we thought we could or should be medalling in.
For McClenaghan, he has completed the grand slam. Three years since that slip in Tokyo. "It's been a crazy journey and I'm trying to write in the happiest fashion I can possibly make it," he added when summing up the time since.
"I want to enjoy the journey, going to competitions around the world, going training. Gymnastics is my job and it's something I dreamed of when I was in school. I was daydreaming in class about gymnastic routines. Being a professional gymnast is already a win."
And now he scaled the heights, with golden medals to cement his status in the sport.
The journey continues. More twists and turns, like those he perfects on the horse, are sure to enthral us for a few more years yet.
Watch the 2024 Olympic Games with 14 hours of televised action on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player each day. Listen to extensive radio coverage on RTÉ Radio 1 and 2fm's Game On and follow each moment from Paris on RTÉ.ie, the RTÉ News app and all RTÉ digital platforms. Listen to the daily RTÉ Sport Olympics Podcast.
