After declaring to swim for Ireland internationally in 2015, Olympian Shane Ryan has experienced plenty of success while swimming for the Emerald Isle. Last year he took home bronze in the 50m backstroke at the European Long Course Championships in Glasgow. That same year, he made history by winning Ireland’s first ever World Championship medal after he won bronze in the 50m backstroke (24.64) at the World Short Course Championships in Hangzhou, China. He also currently holds six individual Irish Senior Records in the 50m and 100m backstroke and 100m freestyle, both SC and LC.
Ryan was able to declare for Ireland through his father, who is from Portarlington, County Louth. Ryan said on his move, “ I took a chance and it worked out, I’ve bettered my future. I have the right to do that as well. My great grandfather fought for the freedom of Ireland in 1916, my dad is one out of ten [children] and all of them are in Portarlington. He’s the only one living there in the states”.
Ryan is in Glasgow this week to compete at the European Short Course Championships. He isn’t the only swimmer on the team of 19 to have swam outside Ireland before, as junior swimmer Molly Mayne is also part of the Roster. Mayne first competed for Ireland this summer at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan. Her mother hails from Galway meaning she, like Ryan, is eligible to swim for Ireland despite training with Hamilton Aquatics in Dubai.
Ireland has faced criticism in the past for having swimmers/divers who have either swam previously for another country, or train outside Ireland. When asked about this, Ryan said “Screw the naysayers. I kind of use that as fuel basically to prove them wrong. I have the passion and I believe that I’m an Irish-American. I still have to make the A Standard and at this point, no one has been able to beat me in Ireland.”
As it’s an Olympic season, he will be striving towards that A standard at every chance he gets. He is in action this week at the European Short Course Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, and is “feeling confident” ahead of the meet. “I’m definitely looking for a best time in the 100m backstroke this weekend. The training has been going really really well. I definitely have a better mindset and everything is falling into place”.
Last month, Ryan competed at the ISL American Derby in Washington DC after being announced as a last minute signing to LA Current. He put up a best time in the 100m backstroke (50.93) and placed second behind teammate Matt Grevers. The final of the ISL is taking at the end of the month in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. Although LA Current have secured their spot, Ryan is still unsure whether he’ll be partaking or not.
Well, he gets to swim with Dean, so there’s that.
He’s giving himself a chance to compete and the highest levels, and taking it – good on him – he’s not breaking any rules. But btw, Ireland has 19 swimmers at this championship and they’ve been performing well already this morning. Swimming in Ireland is gearing up – there’s a way to go, but for a small place they’re pushing it…
By morning 2, the team has broken 4 national records already – going some!
Portarlington is in County Laois. And people of Laois and Portarlington are very proud of Shane, who spent several years living in the town while he trained. Well done Shane and continued success.
He lives and train in Dublin at the national centre he only stays in Portarlington for a night or two every now and then when seeing family.
So difficult to earn a living as a swimmer in America. If Shane can take his talent and represent his family’s heritage, Good. For. Him!
We wish him well – Nice kid, nice family
That is so awesome that his great grandpa was a freedom fighter
To be fair Shane’s good for the sport here but it has its limits. If we had home grown born bred Irish swimmers that could make these big galas I believe they should be ahead of him for selection. Also my main issue with him swimming for Ireland is that he swam for the USA at duel in the pool and therefore as far as I’m concerned has declared for the USA even though I’m aware he still has full rights to swim for ireland under FINA rules. I just think it’s distasteful to come here since he knows it’s easier to qualify and had already swam for another country before. Molly Mayne at least has only swam for ireland
I can see your point. Does Ireland have any swimmers that would have qualified for the Olympics in his events?
If there were no other potential qualifiers, then why not give the berth to Shane so Ireland will have a few swimmers in the pool in Tokyo?
I wanted to add here to this statement in particular, that along with him having to meet the guidelines set forth by FINA to participate for another country in swimming, so too does the IOC itself have its own requirement(s) regarding all athlete who has previously participated for his/her sport internationally and chooses to change the nation he/she represents. And the one, biggest hurdle for approval to switch nations is if you switch to a nation you either do NOT already a dual citizenship with (like Shane has) or are switching to a nation with which the athlete has immediate lineage one or two generations removed, then unless the rule has changed, the athlete, may face what a mandatory 3… Read more »
somebody is very bold in interviews…. “at this point, no one has been able to beat me in Ireland” … geez have some humility