Shane Ryan
Swimming
BIOGRAPHY
He has represented Ireland in three consecutive Olympic Games. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he competed in the 100m backstroke, reaching the semifinals and finishing 16th overall with a time of 54.35 seconds. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he swam in the same event, finishing 23rd in the heats with a time of 53.73 seconds. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he was part of Ireland’s men’s 4x100m medley relay team, swimming the freestyle leg as the team set a new national record of 3:33.81 and placed 11th in the heats.
Ryan has achieved significant success in international competition, winning gold in the 50m backstroke at the 2017 World University Games, a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke at the 2018 European Championships, and another bronze at the 2018 World Short Course Championships. He holds multiple Irish records, including a national best of 21.82 seconds in the 50m freestyle, set at the 2024 European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade.
His eligibility to represent Ireland comes from his father, Thomas, who emigrated from Portarlington, County Laois, while his mother, Mary Beth Bonner, also has Irish heritage. Ryan graduated from Penn State University with a degree in sports management and has been based in Ireland since before the Rio Olympics.
OTHER SWIMMING ATHLETES
SWIMMING NEWS
In the News – 9 March 2026
Hockey The Irish Men’s and women’s hockey teams qualify for the FIH World Cup, after competing in the Qualifiers tournament in Santiago, Chile. The Ireland Men’s Hockey Team closed out their FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers with a win over France to take top spot in the tournament. Having trailed by a goal, Ireland fought [...]
Swim Ireland Appoint Andy Reid as New National Performance Director
Swim Ireland announced the appointment of Andy Reid as the organisation’s new National Performance Director. Reid has been Interim National Performance Director since May 2025 and is the former Head of Performance Pathways & Operations, having worked in the Swim Ireland Performance team since 2010. He is also a former Irish international swimmer and represented Ireland at European and World [...]
IN THE NEWS – AUGUST 11th
New Kids on the Block – Ireland’s Rising Stars Shine This Summer This summer has been a defining moment for Team Ireland’s rising stars. From the pool to the river and the track to the showjumping arena, our junior athletes have charged into finals, stood proudly on podiums and achieved remarkable milestones on both European [...]
Team Ireland EYOF Medallists 1991 – 2024
In the 24 years of Team Ireland competing at the European Youth Olympic Festival – Ireland has had significant success. There have been 72 medals won by Irish athletes in that time, and the most successful Games for Team Ireland was in Tibilisi in 2015, with a total of ten medals being spread across athletics [...]
In The News – July 7th
Equestrian – Spruce Meadows, Canada Daniel Coyle Won the $1 million ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup, producing two flawless rounds with Incredible and winning the jump-off in 35.21 seconds. He edged out USA’s Kyle King by just 0.08 seconds to take his first-ever 5★ Grand Prix win at Spruce Meadows. “It only took 10 years,” Coyle [...]
Sport Events Coming up in July
We are at the start of a jam packed July, check here for information on the upcoming events? DATES EVENT (SPORT) 27 June – 6 July EQUESTRIAN Team Ireland – World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen – Aachen, Germany LINK 28-29 June ATHLETICS Team Ireland – European Athletics Team Championships Division 2 – Maribor, Slovenia LINK [...]