THERE WAS NEVER any doubt in Shane Ryan’s mind that he was going to take home the gold medal in Taipei.
The swimmer has gone from strength to strength following impressive displays at last summer’s Olympic Games and is exuding self-confidence following his latest success, which has been built on a bedrock of stellar and consistent performances.
The 23-year-old secured a new national record (53.85) in qualifying for the 100m backstroke at the semi-final stage in Rio, becoming the first Irish swimmer to make an Olympic semi since 2008.
He also recorded his fastest time of the year, touching home after 49.82 seconds in the 100m freestyle heat in a summer of success at his first ever Games in Brazil.
Now back at Penn State where he will complete his studies in Sports Management, the swimmer returns to his native US with a gold medal in his back pocket having earned Ireland’s first at this summer’s University Games in Taiwan.
Relive the magical moment as @shaneryanpsu wins gold for Ireland #SUTaipei2017 #WUG17IRL pic.twitter.com/8Ssl2zJ2Td
— StudentSport Ireland (@StudentSportIrl) August 23, 2017
He not only set a new Irish record, but in winning the 50m backstroke final ended a 26-year wait for a swimming gold medal at the Games for Ireland.
“I knew I could do it, I really did,” he said speaking to The42 this week.
“I had to make up some ground because my 50m backstroke at Worlds wasn’t the greatest. I knew all I needed to do was have a clean swim, because I knew I could do it, because I worked hard for it.
It was a very, very long finish and I think I could have been quicker at it too. It was nice to be someone from the US who won it because Andrew Rees, who finished second, is an American and was top in the world at one point.
“In the 50m backstroke it was my expectation to go over and take the gold. I knew it was going to be a tough ask, but I also knew I could do a lot of damage because I think the 50m back is my best event.”
Ryan’s father was born in Portarlington, Co Laois and first came to the United States playing gaelic games, making it his home soon afterwards.
Thomas Ryan passed on his Irish heritage to his children and his son was determined and subsequently honoured to have represented the country at last summer’s Olympics, qualifying for Irish citizenship through his dad.
He’s been over here in the States 25 years but still has one of the thickest Laois accents I’ve ever heard. Even my friends from Dublin can’t understand him,” he laughs.
Ryan relishes visits back home and spent the year prior to last summer’s Olympics living in Abbotstown, Dublin, so that he could qualify to represent Ireland — sharing a house with fellow Olympian Oliver Dingley.
His mother is a former Miss Mayo winner, having lived in the county for a year, insisting that he is an avid watcher of gaelic games and will be keenly watching this year’s final between Mayo and Dublin on 17 September, himself playing GAA growing up as an adolescent.
The athlete declared for Ireland in 2015, switching allegiances from the US, and has relished the opportunity, despite some initial backlash. Winning medals at the highest level is one honour, but doing so as an Irishman makes it even sweeter, he admits.
I’ve always considered myself an Irish-American, so Ireland always came first and America came second.
“It really didn’t bother me at all,” he said of the criticism for his decision. “Ireland welcomed me with open arms.”
He concedes that it did take time for certain quarters to accept his Irish nationality, but that it was all part of the experience. Especially with his accent, he jokes.
“Once I showed my team-mates that I’m actually Irish — not like my great, great grandparents are just from Mayo, or Cork or something like that… they’ve met my dad and ended up meeting my whole family and were like ‘oh sh*t you’re actually legit Irish’.
“And I say to them ‘well yeah, it’s just the American accent.’ I love representing Ireland and I honestly feel there’s a lot more I can give to Ireland as well.”
Ryan says last summer’s Olympic Games was an incredible experience, but states with intent that with Tokyo fast approaching on the horizon he will be aiming to beat his semi-final finish and land a place on the podium in 2020.
“That’s the goal,” he says, “and I’m going to do everything in my power to achieve it too. I’m definitely only going to be getting stronger.
This is only the start of something that’s going to be great, and I believe that,” he says of his University Games gold.
“Swim Ireland has a team with such incredible ability. There is a solid senior group and some of it is inexperienced, so we know that there’s so much more that we can achieve with both the senior and junior groups coming through.
“We’re definitely going in the right direction and are going to have a lot of competitors going to Tokyo. I have goals and I will reach them, it’s just going to take time. My time will come.”
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Interesting story , great that he declared for us,and brave of him , imagine that we’re very lucky to have him,wish we could import a few soccer players
@billy Dorney: Try the irish homeless league who are doing amazing in Oslo at the homeless world cup. They might be interested for the cost of a house & a job. Some if not all the mens & womens team are living in hostels, or on the street. The homeless teams don’t have to worry about transfer dates etc. Check them out on youtube
@bings: will do bings,tnx,read a piece last year about them, presume it’s them anyway
@billy Dorney: em does this not knock a genuine Irish born and bred individual out of a place. Not so long ago people were giving out about Turkey using African athletes. In fact genuine Irish olympians were complaing about it.
@Shawn O’Ceallaghan: no
Trolls on here again.This is a great story.
And he IS an Irish-american very proud of his roots.Im sure his culshie oulfella is so proud of him.And I mean that with the greatest of respect.
Well done Shane and family.
Soooo. He’s a fully grown, 100% stars and stripes, american. Who was trained in america, and signed a form saying he could make it on to the Ireland swim team as we have lower standards, is now “actually Irish” because his dad hasn’t lost his accent. Got it.
@Gulliver Foyle: My son was born in Ireland competed in sports for am american college now coaches the girls team in the american college but has come home to ireland to represent ireland in world & european events. Still lives in america. Get over yourself.
@Gulliver Foyle: It’s sad, that we’ve had to import athlete’s and send them to other Countries to get too a level we seem to be unable to reach. How about, we provide quality services here for a change and keep our talented folk at home?
@Stephen murphy: If we did that then we would have to put money into sports other than golf, rugby, gaa, boxing. We couldn’t have that as it would require someone with a brain that is working for the man/woman on the street. My son is 1 of hundreds who have gone to america on sports scholarship to get an education, career, continue their sport training. You can’t blame them. Even Paul, Garry O Donavan travel abroad for training. If you want to succeed in sport you need to get out of here to training camps. Katie Taylor did it when she was comming up to big events.
@bings: your response has nothing to do with the point. Training and living in America is part of the course for some, if not most sports, due to facilities and opportunities that are not available here. This article is about an American taking your son’s spot on the team. Like Turkey rebranding Kenyan runners, all athletes should have at least a genuine attachment to that sport in the country they represent, not just a parent/grandparent or dubious passport.
@bings: The O’Donovan brothers don’t travel abroad for training. They train out of the world-class facilities at the national rowing centre in Cork and do the odd training camp for a couple of weeks in a warmer country during the Irish winter.
@Gulliver Foyle: hi I will admit I thought the same as you when I read the article but having read this article it gives more of an idea of the sacrifice he had to make.
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/plan-coming-together-for-shane-ryan-after-year-of-sacrifice-1.2647343
@Gulliver Foyle: My son has represented both america & ireland in his sport. If an american takes my son’s spot on a team its because my son was not at the level he needed to be to make the team in my opinion. I don’t know if you have any children born in ireland. But if you do & they had a child born in another country which would make that child your grandchild. Would you agree or disagree to that grandchild representing ireland in a sport.
@Sean: When your child decided to travel to america like my son. He is approx 6000 miles away. He would come home at christmas for a few days & in the summer again for a few days. He would go to the gym in the morning approx 5.30am depending on his class timetable in college. Then had classes. Train again in the afternoon/evening. Study to keep his grades at approx 3.00gpa. If they fell below that he was off the team until he got them up. He also worked in the college as an RA (resident assistant) type of security for 20 hrs week. Had cometitions most weekends. 2 of his friends were killed in 2 different car accidents but he couldn’t come home for the funeral. It’s not an easy life but it’s his decision. I’m not looking for any ones smypathy It’s our decision & we just get on with it. Training in the states is taken very serious.
@Art Smith: I agree they do train in cork but must also travel out of ireland for training camps You can spend weeks or months in these training camps.
@Gulliver Foyle: same as the England Cricket Team Captain
@bings: well said boy
@Stephen murphy: we should do,but don’t,look at the LOI nursery for Britain,etc
@bings: yep that about sums it up, although in the n of Ireland funding is much better
@bings: agree 100 per cent
@bings: fair dues ,some commitment
Great for him I’ve met his room mate Oliver Dingley He is also an amazing guy. Oliver presented some medals to some of the special olympics athletes in Abbotstown & in Santry stadium
Don’t get the bit where he says his dad has the thickest accent but even dublin lads don’t understand him?
@Ollie Watson: yeah only downer for me as well
@Ollie Watson: you’ve never heard a thick Laois accent then!!
@billy Dorney: aw poor Billy’s on a downer huh!
@gerry fallon: worse now that rovers beat our under 17 team while ago,4-0,saw it,and was at tallaght the other night,I mean a rebel can only take so much defeat,and our minors crashed today also,,,,,,,oh to,oh to,oh to be a rebel(still ccfc have league wrapped up)
@bings: The O’Donovan brothers don’t travel abroad for training. They train out of the world-class facilities at the national rowing centre in Cork and do the odd training camp for a couple of weeks in a warmer country during the Irish winter.
@Art Smith: why don’t they swim for us then….oh yeah that’s right they’re not swimmers.
It’s the “when people meet me they’re like oh your actually Irish” how exactly when he obviously lived in USA his whole life and talks like JR???