Olympic champion Ryan Held announces retirement; Katie Ledecky, Ryan Murphy and other swimmers react

Katie Ledecky, Ryan Murphy and others shared their reaction as Ryan Held announced his retirement from competitive swimming. Held last competed at the US National Championships, recording a time of 22.68s in the Men's 50m freestyle. He shares a close friendship with Ledecky and Murphy, with the three of them often making appearances at USA Swimming community events. Held ended his career as one of the most decorated American swimmers.

Katie Ledecky is regarded as one of the best swimmers in the world. Ledecky made headlines for her performances at the 2012 London Olympics, where she won a gold medal in the 800m freestyle at the age of 15. She would go on to earn multiple accolades, eventually becoming the most decorated American woman in Olympic history.

Ledecky also holds the world record in the 800m freestyle and 1500m freestyle events, further establishing her status as one of the best swimmers. Ledecky last competed at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

In a post on Instagram, Held announced his retirement, writing:

"While I’m hanging up my cap and goggles professionally, you’ll still see me around on the pool deck as a masters swimmer. Maybe you will see me at the 2028 trials.😉"

Ledecky and Murphy commented on the post, sharing their support for him. Senegalese swimmer Abdoul K. M. Niane also commented on the post:

"Congrats Held!! Incredible career!" - Ryan Murphy

"Congrats Ryan!!!" - Katie Ledecky

"One of my best swimmers FRIEND. CONGRATULATIONS ON AN AMAZING CAREER. 🫶🏿," - Abdoul K. M. Niane

Still taken from Held's Instagram (source: @heldilox/Instagram)

Besides these two, other swimmers including Jack Alexy, Emma Weyant and Allison Schmitt also reacted to the post.

Ryan Held is a two-time Olympic champion, winning gold at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024. He has also won multiple World Short Course Championships medals.

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Katie Ledecky delivers heartfelt speech at Stanford University's Commencement ceremony

Ledecky at the Singapore 2025 World Aquatics Championships - Source: Getty

Katie Ledecky delivered a heartfelt speech at Stanford University's 134th Commencement ceremony earlier in June. Ledecky attended Stanford from 2016 to 2020, where she won eight NCAA Championships in swimming.

Ledecky said in her speech (20:31 onwards):

"Like many of you, I'm still figuring out what it means to go the distance in life. How do you pace your life? What does your day-to-day process look like? How do you prioritize your time? We're all coming from a place here at Stanford that has taught us to ask tough questions like these. We might not have all the answers, but today we can take joy in the pursuit... So graduates, take your mark, and go out there and make your mark."

Katie Ledecky also helped Stanford win back-to-back NCAA team Championships during her time at the university, where she emerged as one of the most exciting talents in the nation.