After his enforced spell on the sidelines, which brought a lot of time for reflecting, McClenaghan feels grateful to back competing fit and healthy again and enjoying his sport.
“A lot of people thought I would take a step away from gymnastics after the Olympics, take a year out and do nothing, but I really wanted to get back into competing straight away, win a fourth European title and my third World title in a row. That was the goal for 2025 but that shoulder injury bothered me too much,” he explained.
“The silver lining to that was I could really process my career and the success of the Paris Olympics. It’s a big thing having one goal your entire life, then it’s achieved at the age of 25, it takes a lot of mental processing. Although I was frustrated at being injured it left a lot of time for thinking.
“You only realise when you get the Olympic gold medal you weren’t doing it just for the medal. The injury made me grateful that I’m able to do gymnastics.”
Having become the first gymnast to complete a career Grand Slam, McClenaghan has a relentless desire to keep going and is now focused on enhancing his legacy.
“I’ve achieved every major title there is in the sport and I love looking at my potential and I feel if I stopped after winning the Olympic Games, my potential would have been wasted. I’m still healthy and able to be the best in the world at what I do.”