Sean Ryan, center, with gold medal.Former McCallie School star and current University of Michigan swimmer Sean Ryan earned a gold medal in the 2013 World University Games in the men’s 1,500-meter freestyle Friday in Kazan, Russia.
Ryan, a Hixson resident, delivered the United States’ first gold in the Games, which run through Wednesday.
“I just wanted to stay relaxed and swim my own race,” Ryan said after the event, according to USA Swimming. “Some of the racers got ahead of me at the beginning, but around the halfway mark I made my move and was able to separate from them for the rest of the race.
“This win was something special.”
Ryan’s strategy to pace himself early proved effective, and his closing burst pushed him to a 14:57.33 finish. The gold was Ryan’s first career international individual medal.