Cork City Council Employee Dan Fox to Represent Ireland at Gymnastics World Cup

A Cork man who juggles a day job at City Hall with competing at the highest level of gymnastics is heading to Baku and Antalya next month to represent Ireland on the world stage.

Dan Fox, 29, a sports development officer with Cork City Council, will compete in the 2026 FIG Apparatus World Cup in Artistic Gymnastics, with the first leg taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 5 to 8 March, followed by a second event in Antalya, Turkey from 12 to 15 March.

The competitions form part of the qualification pathway to the 2026 World Championships, where the first Olympic spots for Los Angeles 2028 will be decided.

Dan, who is from Grange in Cork and is a member of Douglas Gymnastics Club, specialises in the rings, one of gymnastics' most demanding disciplines. The apparatus consists of two circular rings suspended from a high metal frame and requires immense strength, stability, and control to prevent the rings from swinging during a routine.

His trophy cabinet is already well stocked. He was crowned 2025 National Champion on Rings, claimed silver at the 2024 Luxembourg Open, and holds the title of 2021 Northern European Rings Champion.

Dan Fox said:

"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."

"These world cups are the first of the qualification process to the 2026 World Championships where the first Olympic spots will be decided. 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."

In Baku, Dan is scheduled to compete in the rings qualifications on Day 1, 5 March, with the final taking place on 7 March.

He will represent Ireland in Men's Artistic Gymnastics alongside Rhys McClenaghan, Eamon Montgomery, Oisin O'Connell, Chester Enriquez, and James Hickey. Halle Hilton will represent Ireland in Women's Artistic Gymnastics.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, offered his full support ahead of the competition, saying:

"It is important that we acknowledge and support our athletes and I am personally delighted to see Dan competing for Ireland in this competition.

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."

Results and updates from both competitions can be followed on the Baku World Cup and Antalya World Cup official pages, and through Gymnastics Ireland's social media channels by searching @GymnasticsIre.