After winning gold for Ireland in the 2024 Paris Olympics, gymnast Rhys McClenaghan is turning his attention to the world of dance.

The athlete will feature in the upcoming eighth season of the show alongside dance partner Laura Nolan.

He told the Anton Savage Show that he ‘had his eye’ on the competition over the last few years but finally had time to take part following his recent win.

"I've had my eyes on the show for the last couple of years, but I just have never had the time because of course, that Olympic gold medal was on my mind," he said.

"But now that's done we've got a little bit of a downtime now and I'm taking advantage of that by hitting up the dance floor."

Rhys McClenaghan of Team Ireland competing in the men's pommel final, 03/08/2024. Image: PA Images/Alamy

Mr McClenaghan said the toughest aspect so far is balancing dance training with his goal of competing in the LA Olympics.

“I’m not stopping gymnastics training for the show,” he said.

“I’m keeping that side by side, I’m not retired as a gymnast, I’ve got my eyes on that LA 2028 Olympics.

“I don’t want to push gymnastics to the side, but I also want to keep dancing the best that I can, so I’ve been working closely with Laura to see how our schedules can align and get the most out of gymnastics and dancing.”

'Taking it seriously'

However, Mr McClenaghan said this has not stopped him from taking the competition ‘very seriously’.

“I take anything I put effort into very seriously, he said.

“For my own point of view, progression is just what I crave in life, and as soon as I signed up to Dancing with the Stars, I then decided that I’m going to take this very seriously.

“That’s just the aim of the game, is to get better and better every week.”

Athletic challenges

Mr McClenaghan said he will continue to challenge himself in his athletic career.

“The next thing on my list in gymnastics is to challenge myself even further,” he said.

“I’ve maintained every single title there is to win in gymnastic, and that’s the thing I’m incredibly proud of.

“Now, there’s only that one thing to do, and that’s to do it again and again and again, and hopefully at the end of my career, I can walk away from the sport saying I was one of the greatest – if not the greatest – to have ever touched a pommel horse.”

The program is set to return tomorrow night.

Featured image: Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Bercy Arena, Paris, France 3/8/2024. Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan celebrates with his gold medal. Credit ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy