After two Olympic gold medals, Ryan Held is retiring from competitive swimming at the age of 30, closing the curtain on a decorated career.
The American swimmer made the announcement via an instagram post on Tuesday (5 August).
Held played a key role in Team USA’s men’s 4x100m freestyle relay successes, swimming in the final at Rio 2016 and the prelims at Paris 2024.
“Thank you swimming for the journey of a lifetime!” Held said in an Instagram post. “I could have never imagined what was in store for me when I started at the Springfield YMCA back in 2001. Nearly a quarter century later I can happily say swimming took me to 6/7 continents, 20+ countries, two Olympics, four World Championships, and most importantly, brought me lifelong friends.”
Held had a stellar college career where he became a 25-time All-American and four-time NCAA relay champion
While best known for his relay contributions, Held claimed individual silver at the 2021 World Short Course Championships in the 50m and 100m freestyle.
Though stepping away from elite competition, Held plans to continue competing in Masters events and hinted at a playful return in 2028, when Los Angeles hosts the next Olympic Games.
He now works full-time at Goldman Sachs as an operational risk analyst.