By Nicole Miller on SwimSwam
One more athlete has introduced their dedication to affix the Enhanced Video games.
In a submit on Instagram, the Enhanced Video games (@enhanced_games) shared that 3-time Irish Olympian Shane Ryan can be becoming a member of the video games set to happen subsequent yr.
Ryan, 31, most lately competed on the 2025 World Championships in Singapore the place he was considered one of a number of swimmers to fall ailing with a abdomen bug in the course of the meet. Following the World Championships, Ryan remained out of competitors for a number of months earlier than asserting his retirement from aggressive swimming final week. In his retirement submit, Ryan famous that he wasn’t planning on stepping away from the pool fully, however didn’t point out the Enhanced Video games. “Although I’m stepping away from competitors, my love for the game stays as sturdy as ever – and I look ahead to giving again in new methods, mentoring the subsequent era and staying concerned within the swimming neighborhood.”
Ryan, a backstroke specialist, has picked up a number of minor worldwide medals all through his profession together with bronze medals within the 50 backstroke at each the 2018 and 2024 SC World Championships. He has additionally represented Eire at three Olympic Video games, together with the 2016, 2021, and 2024 Video games, changing into the primary Irish-man to take action. On the Olympics, he by no means made a person ultimate, along with his highest end coming within the 100 backstroke in 2016 the place he positioned sixteenth within the semi-finals of the occasion.
Previous to switching to Irish sporting cititizenship in 2016, Ryan was a member of the US Junior Nationwide Staff. He was born-and-raised in Pennsylvania and attended Penn State, the place he competed for the Nittany Lions between 2012 and 2017 (with a redshirt yr for the 2016 Olympic Video games). He stays one of many solely swimmers at school historical past to have competed on the Olympics.
Ryan additionally competed for the Toronto Titans within the now-defunct Worldwide Swimming League (ISL) again in 2020. The league was recognized for its strict anti-doping insurance policies, a stark comparability to the Enhanced Video games.
Regardless of his speciality being the backstroke occasions, the Enhanced Video games clarified of their Instagram submit that Ryan will contest the 50m freestyle and 100m dash on the video games. Whereas the latter of the 2 occasions was beforehand listed because the 100m freestyle, it’s unclear whether or not the video games will shift to incorporate further strokes within the occasion. At present, the one different swimming occasions on the schedule are the 50m and 100m butterfly.
With this announcement, Ryan joins a rising record of completed swimmers who’ve joined the Video games, becoming a member of male sprinters Ben Proud, Kristian Gkolomeev, James Magnussen, Andrii Govorov, Marius Kusch, and Josif Miladinov, whereas American Megan Romano grew to become the primary feminine to affix the group in early August.
The controversial group is internet hosting its inaugural occasion subsequent Could in Las Vegas with $1 million on the road for going underneath the prevailing the world file within the 50 free or the 100-meter sprint. Different occasions are slated to pay out $250,000 for dipping underneath the prevailing mark.
Learn the total story on SwimSwam: Three-Time Irish Olympian Shane Ryan To Be part of the Enhanced Video games
