Gymnastics

Lauren McCann
BBC Sport NI Journalist at the Emirates Arena

Image source, Getty Images

Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan qualified for the Commonwealth Games pommel horse final as he posted a score of 14.500 after an almost flawless display with his new routine.

All eyes in the Emirates Arena were on McClenaghan and he delivered, even celebrating with a jig after stepping off the apparatus.

The 27-year-old finished third in the qualifying standings, with Scotland's Reuben Ward and Canada's Jordan Carroll (both 14.550) coming in ahead of him.

"It's amazing to get him back out there, brand new routine, he smashed it with one of the best executions, we'll take that it's extremely positive and we have an upgraded routine to do for the final," said his coach Luke Carson.

McClenaghan, who missed the entirety of 2025 after shoulder surgery, earned an difficult score of 5.500 and an execution score of 9.000, the highest in qualifying.

He is aiming to win his third Commonwealth Games medal on the pommel horse after picking up gold in 2018 and silver in 2022.

The Newtownards man also competed in floor qualifying for the first time since 2018, but failed to reach the final.

He scored 12.350 for his routine as he stumbled at the end when trying to land from a triple somersault.

Team-mate Eamon Montgomery also missed out on the final as his score of 13.000 was not enough to go through as he received a 0.100 penalty which proved costly.

Ewan McAteer reached Tuesday's vault final as he finished fifth in qualifying with a score of 13.650.

"I definitely performed to the best of my ability, so very happy with how today has gone," he said.

"It's been a bit of a turbulent time for me out here, I've pulled a muscle in my stomach that extends down to my groin which has really flared so that was the first bit of gymnastics I did out there but a pulled groin wasn't stopping me today."

Lauren McCann
BBC Sport NI Journalist at the Emirates Arena

Image source, Getty Images

Team Northern Ireland gymnast Eamon Montgomery said his routine did not "deserve the score I got" as he failed to qualify for the Commonwealth Games floor final.

Montgomery scored 13.000 for his routine at the Glasgow International Arena, which left him in fourth after two subdivisions.

He eventually fell to 11th in the standings after the third subdivision of athletes went through their routines, with only the top eight progressing to Monday's final.

While pleased with his performance, Montgomery was critical of the score he received.

"To the trained eye it was a good routine, from me, my coaches and other gymnasts I spoke to I think it was a good routine, I don't think it deserved the score I got," he told BBC Sport NI.

"I was really happy with my routine and it's annoying because I don't want to take away how happy I am with my routine across the board. The score is what matters at the end of the day, but I was happy with my routine."

His coach Luke Carson said an appeal made against a 0.1 penalty Montgomery received was rejected for reasons that were "unclear".

"We did put in an appeal but it was rejected and I'm unsure why," he explained.

"We need to look back at the footage, but it's unclear why he got that 0.1 penalty and it looks costly."

Image source, Getty Images

Team Northern Ireland gymnast Chester Enriquez has been ruled out of competing at the Commonwealth Games through injury.

The 18-year-old, who was set to compete in the vault and showcase his floor routine, was injured in training and will miss the his first Games in Glasgow.

Enriquez became Ireland's first-ever medallist in the European Youth Olympics Festival when he claimed bronze in Croatia last year.

"Knowing how hard Chester and his coaches have worked to get to this stage we're heartbroken for them all," said Conal Heatley, Team NI's Chef de Mission.

"Injuries are unfortunately a cruel part of performance sport. We wish Chester a speedy recovery and we'll continue to provide support as appropriate."

Lauren McCann
BBC Sport NI Journalist in Glasgow

Image source, Inpho

The first day of the 2026 Commonwealth Games is upon us and it's a busy enough Friday for various Team Northern Ireland athletes in Glasgow.

It's an early start Gary Kelly who is in action in the men's singles against New Zealand's Shannon McIlroy at 08:30 BST after his win against Niue on Thursday.

Shauna O'Neill and Chloe Wilson will face Niue in the women's pairs at 11:20 after their victory on Thursday against Singapore.

At the Tollcross Swimming Centre, it is a morning full of heats from 10:30.

Victoria Catterson will be in the women's 400m freestyle while Grace Davison and Lottie Cullen will get under way in the women's 200m backstroke.

Conor Ferguson and Paddy Johnston will be in the 50m backstroke with Alana Burns-Aiken in the 50m butterfly and Adam Bradley in the 100m breaststroke.

Barry McClements will go in the men's S10 100m butterfly while Team NI will take part in both the men's and women's 100m freestyle relay heats.

Should the various swimmers progress through their heats, the semi-finals or finals of all those events will take place that evening from 19:00.

At the SEC Centre, one of Team NI's boxing contingent will be in action.

Louis Rooney fights in the men's bantamweight 55kg round of 32 against Mathealira Seholoholo from Lesotho at 11:45.

From 13:00 at the Emirates Arena, Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan alongside Ewan McAteer and Eamon Montgomery are in qualification action.

Image source, Getty Images

Olympic gold medallist in the pommel horse Rhys McClenaghan headlines a four-strong artistic gymnastics team for Northern Ireland.

The 26-year-old is the only gymnast to become Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth champion on a single apparatus.

McClenaghan was unable to compete at all in 2025 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery, but returned to action earlier this year and won gold in a World Cup event in Antalya in March.

He won a gold medal on the Gold Coast in 2018 and the silver in Birmingham in 2022.

Eamon Montgomery finished fifth with his floor routine in Birmingham in 2022 and won a silver medal at the World Cup in Antalya in March.

Ewan McAteer is back for a third Games after finishing sixth in the vault final four years ago.

Chester Enriquez will make his Commonwealth Games bow in Glasgow in the vault. The 18-year-old became Ireland's first-ever medallist in the European Youth Olympics Festival as he claimed bronze in Croatia last year.

Image source, Getty Images

Olympic gold medallist Rhys McClenaghan has been named on a six-strong men's artistic gymnastics team to represent Ireland at August's European Championships in Croatia.

McClenaghan, who won his first gold medal since recovering from a shoulder injury at March's World Cup event, is joined by fellow medallists from Antalya: Belfast's Eamon Montgomery who picked up a silver on the floor exercise and James Hickey who came home with bronze behind McClenaghan on the pommel horse.

Also named is Newtownabbey's Chester Enriquez who was a gold medallist at last year's European Youth Olympics Festival.

Adam Steele and Daniel Fox are also included for the competition that runs from 19-23 August in Arena Zagreb, Croatia.

On the four-strong junior team, Matthew Hickey - younger brother of James - is joined by Craigavon's Finlay Hazelton, plus Robert Ward and Evan Kinsella.