Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan had to settle for seventh place in the pommel horse final at the European Gymnastics Championships in Zagreb.
Ireland’s McClenaghan was looking to bounce back after finishing sixth in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as he tested a new routine.
However, despite “tweaks” from the Commonwealths and an improved score of 14.000, it was not enough to challenge for a fourth European gold.
The 27-year-old was some way down of his winning score of 15.533 at the Paris Olympics two years ago.
Since then, McClenaghan had shoulder surgery and the Commonwealth Games was his first major competition since his injury.
Italy’s Gabriele Targhetta won gold with a score of 15.133, ahead of the Armenian duo of Manukyan Hamlet and Khachatryan Mamikon.
In his first European final, Ireland’s Eamon Montgomery finished seventh in the floor final.
The Belfast gymnast qualified for the final in sixth place by he was penalised 0.3 points for stepping out of the square early in his routine.
That meant he had to settle for a score of 13.5330, which was down on his qualification score of 14.033.
Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat won the gold medal with a score of 14.466, while Great Britain’s Harry Hepworth was third with 14.300.
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