Dan's ringed today in his calendar
A Cork City Council employee is beginning his journey trying to qualify for the LA Olympics along gold medallist Rhys McClenaghan in Azerbaijan today.
Dan Fox will be in action today, Thursday, representing Ireland in the upcoming 2026 FIG Apparatus World Cup in artistic gymnastics.
The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy has wished the Cork City Council employee the absolute best of luck as the 29 year old a sports development officer competes in the 2026 FIG Apparatus World Cup in artistic gymnastics from 5 to 8 March in Baku, Azerbaijan and from 12 to 15 March in Antalya, Turkey.
The competition is an important step on the road to the next Olympics, in Los Angeles in 2028.
Dan specialises in the rings – a highly demanding apparatus consisting of two circular rings suspended from a high metal frame that requires immense strength, stability, and control to prevent the rings from swinging during a routine.
“It is important that we acknowledge and support our athletes and I am personally delighted to see Dan competing for Ireland in this competition,” the lord mayor said.
“Dan’s achievements are exceptional. He is a national champion and a northern European champion in rings, and all this after deciding just recently to specialise in the rings apparatus. His commitment, potential and success should be celebrated.
“All of Dan’s colleagues at Cork City Council, and indeed everyone in Cork, are all extremely proud of him and we will all be supporting him during the upcoming world cup competition.”
From Grange, Dan is a member of Douglas Gymnastics Club and was crowned 2025 National Champion on rings. He is the 2024 Luxembourg Open Rings silver medallist, and the 2021 Northern European Rings champ.
“I previously competed in all of the apparatus for the Irish team however rings are my strongest, and I only specialized in the rings only at the start of this year,” Dan said. “These world cups are the first of the qualification process to the 2026 World Championships where the first Olympic spots will be decided.
“I will be doing two world cups in March - in Baku and Antalya. All going well I will also be travelling to Croatia and Doha afterwards for two more world cups.”
Dan will represent Ireland in men's artistic gymnastics alongside Rhys McClenaghan, Eamon Montgomery, Oisin O’Connell, Chester Enriquez and James Hickey, with Halle Hilton representing Ireland in women's artistic gymnastics.
The schedule for the Baku element will see Dan take to the rings today on Day 1 with the final day for rings on 7 March.
This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.