Megan Ryan Explained

Megan Ryan
Nickname:Meg, Mugsy
Birth Date:3 April 2002
Birth Place:Cork, Ireland
Discipline:WAG
Level:Senior International Elite
Club:Douglas Gymnastics Club
Headcoach:Emma Hamill
Show-Medals:yes

Megan "Meg" Ryan (born 3 April 2002)[1] is an Irish artistic gymnast who competed at the 2020 Olympic Games. She was the first Irish female gymnast to win a medal on the FIG World Cup series.

Early life

Ryan was born on 3 April 2002 in Cork. She began gymnastics at age five after watching her older sister Hayley train.[2] She also played Gaelic football before she decided to concentrate on gymnastics.[3]

Career

Junior

Ryan won the gold medal on every event at the 2016 Irish Championships, except for the uneven bars where she won the silver medal.[4] She made her international debut at the European Championships where she finished 53rd in the all-around during the qualification round.[5] In 2017, Ryan once again won the junior all-around at the Irish Championships.[6] Then at the FIT Challenge, she finished seventh with the junior Irish team.[7] She then competed at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival and was chosen to be Ireland's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.[8] The team of Ryan, Jane Heffernan, and Emma Slevin finished 18th in the team competition.[9] At the Northern European Championships, she finished 12th in the all-around final and fifth in the vault final.[10]

Senior

Ryan became age-eligible for senior competition in 2018. However, she missed the entire 2018 season after having surgery to remove an extra bone in her ankle.

Ryan competed at the 2019 European Championships where she finished 49th in the all-around during the qualification round.[11] She then won the gold medal in the all-around at the senior Irish Championships.[12] She only competed on the balance beam at the Irish Super Championships, and she won the gold medal.[13] At the Mersin World Challenge Cup, she won the silver medal on the uneven bars behind Nazli Savranbasi. This was Ireland's first medal at the women's FIG World Cup.[14] She then competed at the 2019 World Championships where she finished 95th in the all-around in the qualification round.[15] Due to this result, she was initially the first reserve for the Olympic Games. However, after North Korea withdrew from the Olympics, Ryan received the spot that initially went to Kim Su-jong.[16]

At the 2021 European Championships, Ryan decided to only compete on the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise in order to build up towards the Olympic Games.[17] She did not qualify for any of the event finals. At the Olympic Games, Ryan finished 72nd in the all-around during the qualification round with a total score of 47.199.[18]

Awards

Ryan received the Echo Women in Sport Award in 2019.[19] Gymnastics Ireland gave her the Rising Star award in 2017.[8]

Personal life

Ryan studies pharmacy at University College Cork.[20]

Competitive history

align=center Yearalign=center EventTeamAAVTUBBBFX
Junior
2016Irish Championships
53
2017Irish Championships
FIT Challenge7 34
European Youth Olympic Festival18
Northern European Championships7 12 5
Senior
2019
European Championships49
Irish Championships
Irish Super Championships
Mersin World Challenge Cup8
World Championships95
2021
Olympic Games 72

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Megan Ryan . . 23 July 2023.
  2. Web site: Ryan Megan . . 31 May 2021.
  3. Web site: Dennehy . Cathal . Irish teenage trio ready to make mark at World Gymnastics Championships . RTÉ . 31 May 2021 . 4 October 2019.
  4. Web site: Hopkins . Lauren . 2016 Irish Championships Results . The Gymternet . 31 May 2021 . 15 May 2016.
  5. Web site: 31st European Championships in Women's Artistic Gymnastics Seniors and Juniors Junior Qualifications . Gymnastics Results . . 31 May 2021 . 1 June 2016.
  6. Web site: Hopkins . Lauren . 2017 Irish Championships Results . The Gymternet . 31 May 2021 . 14 May 2017.
  7. Web site: Hopkins . Lauren . 2017 FIT Challenge Results . The Gymternet . 23 July 2023 . 13 June 2017.
  8. Web site: Tokyo 2020 - Get to know Meg Ryan . Gymnastics Ireland . 23 July 2023 . 9 July 2021.
  9. Web site: Hopkins . Lauren . 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival Results . The Gymternet . 31 May 2021 . 27 July 2017.
  10. Web site: Hopkins . Lauren . 2017 Northern European Championships Results . The Gymternet . 23 July 2023 . 21 October 2017.
  11. Web site: 8th European Men's and Women's Artistic Gymnastics Individual Championships Women Artistic Gymnastics Qualification Individual Seniors . Gymnastics Results . . 31 May 2021 . 11 April 2019.
  12. Web site: Hopkins . Lauren . 2019 Irish Championships Results . The Gymternet . 31 May 2021 . 6 June 2019.
  13. Web site: 2019 Irish Super Championships Results . The Gymternet . 23 July 2023 . 29 July 2019.
  14. Web site: Meg & Jane deliver first Women’s World Cup podium finish for Ireland . Gymnastics Ireland . 31 May 2021 . 2 September 2019.
  15. Web site: 49th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Stuttgart (GER), 4 October - 13 October 2019 Women's All-Around Qualification . Gymnastics Results . . 31 May 2021 . 4 October 2019.
  16. Web site: Kim . Tong-hyung . North Korea says it won’t participate in Tokyo Olympics . . 31 May 2021 . 6 April 2021.
  17. Web site: Slattery . Joel . Gymnastics: Emma Slevin makes history by securing spot in European final . Irish Examiner . 31 May 2021 . 21 April 2021.
  18. Web site: Artistic Gymnastics Women's All-Around Qualification . . . 31 December 2022 . 3 . 25 July 2021 . 31 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221231220929/https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/2021/w_21olympics_aaqual.pdf . dead .
  19. Web site: Noonan . Rory . Meg Ryan balances study and gymnastics with Olympics on the horizon . Echo Live . 31 May 2021 . 18 April 2021.
  20. Web site: Douglas gymnast Meg Ryan on her amazing experience at the Olympics . Echo Live . 23 July 2023 . 13 October 2021.