Nicholas Quinn and Shane Ryan have taken very different paths to get to their first Olympic Games, but both Irish swimmers are already enjoying everything Rio 2016 has to offer.
Quinn will take to the pool on Saturday as he contests the 100m breaststroke, but the Mayo man’s main event is the 200m breaststroke on Tuesday.
Swimmers’ appraisals of the facilities in Rio haven’t exactly been glowing, but the Edinburgh University student was effusive in his praise for the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre, telling RTÉ Sport: “It’s been brilliant. If you look around - even in the warm-up pool - the facilities are amazing, so I can’t wait to get into the main pool and race on Saturday.
“It’s been everything I’ve expected so far, I just can’t wait to get started.”
The 23-year-old, who clocked a lifetime best of one minute 0.95 seconds over the shorter distance when he triumphed in April’s Eindhoven Cup, is striving for a personal best in the weaker of his two events when he steps up on the blocks on Saturday, adding: “I think I can go in and swim a PB.
“That’s the first port of call and then I’ll take it from there, but I’m looking forward to it.
“I think I’m going to try and feed off the atmosphere.
“I’ll have never swam before as many people before.
“Although it’s not my main event, they’re both pretty closely related.
“I know if I can go in and put in a good strong performance in the 100m, it’ll set me up perfectly for the 200m.
“It all about giving me confidence so that I know that I’m in a good place and I can hit the 200m hard on Tuesday.”
Shane Ryan grew up about 3000 miles away from Quinn in Pennsylvania.
A former member of the US team, Ryan qualifies to represent Ireland through his father, who hails from Laois.
However, International Swimming Federation guidelines meant the 22-year-old had to spend a year in the international wilderness before he could don an Irish swimming cap.
Ryan, who will compete in the 100m backstroke, and the 50m and 100m freestyle events, has already bumped into some of his former team-mates, admitting: "“It’s definitely weird because I haven’t seen them for a year and a half or two years.
“But it’s been great seeing them.”
Ryan’s meticulous approach extends to what goes on away from the pool, as he revealed: “I’m eating the right things because sometimes when you come to a place like this with multiple foods and different drinks, you have to make sure you maintain your diet.
“Make sure you get you vegetable in, make sure you’re not eating too much or eating too much of the bad things!
“I’m making sure I’m doing that, getting good rest and coming here at the times I need to be here and doing what I need to do.”
Ryan will commence his campaign on Sunday in the 100m backstroke, when he will be joined in the pool by Fiona Doyle, who lines up in the 100m breaststroke.
Team Ireland schedule:
Saturday 6 August
Nicholas Quinn - 100m breaststroke
Sunday 7 August
Fiona Doyle 100m breaststroke*
Shane Ryan 100m backstroke*
Tuesday 9 August
Shane Ryan 100m freestyle
Nicholas Quinn 200m breaststroke*
Wednesday 10 August
Fiona Doyle 200m breaststroke
Thursday 11 August
Shane Ryan 50m freestyle
Monday 15 August
Oliver Dingley 3m springboard*
* Denotes main event
