American swimmer Ryan Hoffer, an NCAA Champion and the #2 overall pick in the 2021 International Swimming League rookie draft, has retired from competitive swimming.
Hoffer confirmed that he has moved on from competition on Thursday, more than a year after his last meet in November 2021 during the International Swimming League season.
Hoffer says that while he still likes to swim and train casually, and that he will always be an athlete, he has taken his talents down a non-aquatic career path.
“I jumped into another competitive environment selling medical supplies for McKesson!” Hoffer told SwimSwam.
McKesson is a large pharmaceutical and health information technology company that employs over 78,000 people and delivers a third of all pharmaceuticals used in North America. It is the 7th-largest corporation in the US with 2021 revenues of $238.2 billion.
Hoffer ruled out a comeback to swimming, even if the ISL was revived, saying that “ISL was great but I saw it as too much of a risk financially to continue to pursue.”
Hoffer was the 2021 NCAA Champion in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly, as well as the 2019 champion in the 50 free (the 2020 meet was canceled). He also won a pair of relay titles as a senior in 2021 and earned a total of 27 CSCAA All-America awards, which is one shy of the maximum possible.
Hoffer was always a better short course swimmer than long course swimmer. He finished 19th in the 50 free and 26th in the 100 free at the 2021 US Olympic Trials. In spite of a best time of 22.50 in the 50 free, he was still more than 8-tenths of a second away from qualifying for the Olympics.
That left ISL as his most likely path to financial viability in swimming. His short course prowess made him the #2 overall pick for the DC Trident in the ISL’s first-ever rookie draft in 2021 behind only Dutch swimmer Arno Kamminga.
His first, and ultimately only, ISL season started off slowly. In spite of the fact that the Trident had a breakthrough year, Hoffer ranked just 145th in the league in total scoring with 86.50 points, averaging 10.8 points/match. He improved as the season went on, but never really had the expected impact for the Trident.
Among the major honors he earned in his swimming career include twice being named the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year (2020-2021) and being named a semifinalist in 2020 for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, given annually to the country’s top amateur athlete.
As a junior swimmer in Scottsdale, Arizona he broke many National Age Group Records, which included in 2014 becoming the youngest swimmer under 43 seconds in the 100 yard free.
Hoffer majored in public health at Cal.
Watch: Ryan Hoffer Swim 41.23 in the 100 yard free at Winter Juniors in 2015:
Hoffer’s Best Times:
| SCY | LCM | SCM | |
| 50 free | 18.33 | 22.5 | 21.03 |
| 100 free | 40.89 | 49.48 | 47.64 |
| 100 fly | 44.24 | 52.89 |
We Salute you, Hoff! Was always an honor to train and race with you.
This is a classic case of a good swimmer retiring because the options for financial independence are minimal in the USA. His only options were ISL or to represent his parents overseas where he will be welcome with open arm’s! In the meantime the CORRUPT and incompetent leadership at USA swimming continues run by old man who are out of touch with reality! The CEO in swimming makes a nice six figure salary! Wtf does he care about these athletes. Than we have FINA or world aquatic another corrupt sports organization run by a Kuwaiti of all who knows nothing of swimming? They try to appease to competitor swimmers by giving them 5/10k when placing in the world championships. Can… Read more »
I reckon he would have been a fun team mate. Enjoy your new role and maybe will see some masters meets
So the ISL is not worth staying pro.
If your boss didn’t send you your check, would you keep going into the office or tell em to get bent?
It’s only the top 1/2/3 who get the lion share and who in turn get the endorsement. Living the rest in the USA in particular to struggle to make a living! They thus need to get a job to survive and compete!
Love you dude
Ryan, congratulations on an amazing career and thank you for the memories. You will forever be a Golden Bear and it was an honor to watch you swim. 🐻
Nobody’s ever dominated freestylers underwater at the 100 distance like this guy. Not even Crooks (as of now) pushes to 15 off EVERY WALL like Hoffer did. One of the most unique and boldest swimmers ever because of that style.
One of my favorite swimmers of all time and one of the great underwater swimmers ever. Before and since there still has never been a swimmer who Good luck Ryan!