BARRY McDONALD made a triumphant start as Ireland's first Olympic gymnast, making it through all six compulsory exercises without falling once. "It's a great feeling, beautiful. I enjoyed myself thoroughly," said the 24-year-old Dubliner. "I didn't fall off anything."
A third of the way through yesterday's competition, McDonald held 25th place among the 38 competitors. The Irishman made mistakes on the pommel horse and the horizontal bar but rather than drop off the apparatus, he took an extra swing on each to recover and complete the exercises. He scored 8.200 on high bar and 8.475 on horse, but made up ground with a 9.250 vault and 9.00 in the floor exercise.
"Overall, I'm very, happy with my performance," said McDonald. "I would love to have an Olympics when I stayed on everything. That would be an accomplishment in itself.
"I guess this is something of a pioneering story," said McDonald. "It's always been my dream to be in the Olympics."
Despite being based in Chicago for the last seven years, where he is a student at the University of Illinois, McDonald said he had been overwhelmed by the support from Ireland. "I've had great support," said McDonald, whose father Shay is chef de mission of the 115-member Irish team. "My room is full of cards and letters from home. "It's been brilliant."
