Lord Mayor backs Dan as he prepares to represent Ireland at World Cup Gymnastics
27/02/2026
The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy has wished Cork City Council employee Dan Fox the absolute best of luck as he prepares to represent Ireland in the upcoming 2026 FIG Apparatus World Cup in Artistic Gymnastics.
Dan, 29, a sports development officer in the sports section of the City Council’s Corporate, Community and Cultural Affairs Directorate, is part of the Irish team that will compete in the 2026 FIG Apparatus World Cup in Artistic Gymnastics from March 5 to March 8 in Baku, Azerbaijan and from March 12 to March 15 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 in Cork, 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 he is the 2021 Northern European Rings champion.
“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. Each competition will have medal opportunities and give athletes their world ranking.
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 competition schedule for the Baku element will see Dan take to the rings on Qualifications Day 1, March 5, with the final day for rings on March 7.
You can track his and the team’s progress at the Baku World Cup and Antalya World Cup official pages.
You can also get all the results and news by following Gymnastics Ireland on Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube by searching for @GymnasticsIre.