Team Ireland swimmer Shane Ryan has set a new Irish senior record in the Men’s 100m Butterfly Heats with a time of 52.52.
The tie was enough for fourth place in his heat and an 11-place jump in the 100m Butterfly rankings but he missed out on a semi-final spot.
Ryan beat fellow Olympian Brendan Hyland’s record of 52.58 that he had held since December, achieved in a race in which he beat Ryan.
Hyland had also owned the record previous to that, which he set back in 2018 at the National Championships.
The Irish swimmer started the race strong and was fourth after the first length.
He finished off a consistent and strong swim to seal the Irish senior record and bring the curtains down on his Tokyo 2020 journey.
Ryan becomes the fourth Irish swimmer to set a new Irish senior record at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
It’s a suitable high-note to bring his second Olympic Games to a close after having to pull out of his main event, the 100m backstroke, due to injury.
The 27-year-old had been forced to pull out after suffering from persistent shoulder pain.
Ryan had also competed in the Men’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay alongside Hyland, Finn McGeever and Jack McMillan.
The group finished eighth in their semi-final and fourteenth overall.
The swimmer noted that he wanted to enjoy a stress-free swim in his final event after the time that he has had.
“I’m super happy to end on that, especially with all of the injuries I’ve been going through,” Ryan told RTÉ after the race.
“I never swam it like that before and I think I have a lot more to offer.”
Ryan’s head will now turn towards qualification Paris 2024 as the Ben Higson product will aim to represent his country at the third consecutive Olympic Games.
