Three-time Olympian Shane Ryan has announced his retirement from competitive swimming, ending his decade-long international career which also saw him set multiple Irish records.
The 31-year-old moved to Dublin in 2014, having been born and raised in Philadelphia, but opting to represent Ireland given his father Thomas was born in Portarlington, in Co Laois.
Throughout his career Ryan set a series of firsts for Irish swimming, including being the first Irishman to swim at three Olympic Games (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024), the first Irish swimmer to win a World Short Course medal in 2018, and a member of the first men’s relay team to represent Ireland at an Olympic Games at Tokyo 2021.
Among his other outstanding achievements was winning five major medals in the 50m backstroke. His first came at 2017 World University Games in Taiwan, where he won gold, another first for Irish swimming. He went on to win bronze at the 2018 European Long Course (50m) Championships and claimed Ireland’s first ever world short course medal in China later that year.
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In 2019, he won European short course bronze in Glasgow, and his most recent medal came last December, when he took another bronze medal at the World Short Course Championships in Budapest.
“This sport has given me more than I could have ever imagined,” Ryan said. “The honour of wearing the green, the thrill of competing at three Olympic Games, and the lifelong friendships forged through countless hours in the pool and on the road. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve accomplished, not just in medals or records, but in the journey itself.
“From my first strokes to standing on international podiums, it’s been a ride filled with highs, lows and everything in between. I want to thank my coaches, team-mates, Swim Ireland, USA Swimming, my family and everyone who supported me through the years. Your belief in me pushed me forward every single day.
“Though I’m stepping away from competition, my love for the sport remains as strong as ever — and I look forward to giving back in new ways, mentoring the next generation and staying involved in the swimming community.”
As well as representing Ireland individually, Ryan played a key role in several Irish relay teams, most notably at the 2021 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Ryan is also the Irish record holder in the 100m freestyle, 50m and 100m backstroke and 50m butterfly in the 50m pool, and the 50m and 100m freestyle, 50m and 100m backstroke, and 50m and 100m butterfly record holder in the short-course 25m pool.
