Three years ago, a mistake in the final left McClenaghan seventh, but since then he has barely put a hand wrong on an unforgiving apparatus where strength, co-ordination and control are key.

“I knew it was possible. I knew it was possible back in Tokyo as well but it didn’t happen,” he said.

“This was the comeback I needed and it happened.”

He is a two-time pommel horse world champion, a three-time European gold medallist and a Commonwealth Games winner.

Now he has completed the ultimate medal set – a sort of gymnastic ‘Grand Slam’ – with Olympic gold.

Before these Games, it had been 36 years since an athlete from Northern Ireland had won a gold medal.

But after swimming wins for Daniel Wiffen and Jack McMillan and Hannah Scott’s victory as part of the GB rowing team, it is now four at one Olympics.

With this medal barely around his neck, McClenaghan was already planning how to work towards his next.

“There’s always room for improvement. I want to go back into the gym right now and work on the improvements but my coach won’t let me probably,” he said.

“That’s OK. I think he’s right in this situation, we need to celebrate our Olympic title.”