Shane Ryan: 'It was the best decision of my life because I had lost my love of swimming'

Ryans' dip in form - both in and out of the pool - arrived without reason or explanation

GETTING READY: Shane Ryan of Team Ireland during a training session at the Paris La Défense Arena during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Depressed. Down in the dumps. Then dumped by his girlfriend on St Patrick’s Day. Life came hard and fast at Shane Ryan in the early months of this year.

His dip in form - both in and out of the pool - arrived without reason or explanation. There was nothing he could point to as a potential root cause. It just announced itself without invitation.