LA Current Sign Shane Ryan as ISL’s First-Ever Irish Swimmer

The Los Angeles Current of the International Swimming League (ISL) have announced the addition of Irish-American swimmer Shane Ryan to their roster ahead of next weekend’s US Derby meet in Washington D.C.

Ryan, a former US National Team swimmer, switched his sporting citizenship to Ireland prior to the 2016 Olympic Games. He was eligible for citizenship via his father, who was born in Ireland, and has since made Irish swimming history on several occasions – including as the current National Record holder in the 100 free, 50 back, and 100 back in both short course meters and long course meters. He now makes history again as the first Irish swimmer to be signed to the upstart pro league that kicked off earlier this year in Indianapolis.

Ryan is a good fit in the ISL format for a few reasons, including that he is very good in short course, and that in addition to his backstroke swims, he’s fast enough in sprint free where he can contribute to the Current relays as well.

Shane Ryan‘s Lifetime Bests:

As the derbies approach, many big-name swimmers are expected to skip the meets – especially given that the 4 teams that will advance to the final are, in essence, set. That list includes the LA Current, which currently rank 2nd in the American bracket.

On paper, the Current are loaded in the men’s backstrokes, with Matt Grevers and Ryan Murphy already on their roster. Murphy was 2nd and Grevers 4th in the 100 back at the most recent ISL meet in Budapest, and in the 50 Grevers finished 2nd and Murphy finished 3rd. The addition of Ryan implies that either Murphy or Grevers will likely miss the Derby event, though we haven’t heard back from the Current to confirm that.

The next stop of the ISL will be November 16th and 17th at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. That meet will feature the 4 US teams: the Cali Condors, LA Current, DC Trident, and New York Breakers.

Up-to-Date 2019 LA Current Roster: