] Ryan Fitzgerald Murphy (born July 2, 1995) is an American competitive Swimming (sport), swimmer specializing in

backstroke Backstroke or back crawl is one of the four Swimming (sport), swimming styles used in competitive events regulated by FINA, and the only one of these styles swum on the back. This swimming style has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disa ...

. He is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and the former world-record holder in the men's 100-meter backstroke. At the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

, Murphy swept the backstroke events, winning gold medals in both the 100- and 200-meter backstroke races. He also won a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay with

Michael Phelps Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold me ...

, Nathan Adrian, and Cody Miller, and Murphy's backstroke relay leg broke the world record previously set by Aaron Peirsol in 2009. At the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

, Murphy won a gold medal and set the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

in the 4x100-meter medley relay with Michael Andrew, Caeleb Dressel, and Zach Apple, in addition to a silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke and bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke. Omega Timing; Atos (August 1, 2021)
"Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: Swimming Results Book"
. ''

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...

''. Retrieved August 4, 2021.

Early life and education

Murphy began dreaming of competing at the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

when he was seven years old."Meet the star rookies of the 2016 USA Olympic Swim Team"
''

CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio broadcaster CBS. It is headquartered in New York City. CBS News television programs include ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs ''CBS News Sunday Morn ...

''. August 5, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2021. Murphy graduated from Bolles School in

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

in 2013 and attended the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

where he competed in swimming under Head Coach Dave Durden. While competing for the California Golden Bears (Cal), he was an eight-time NCAA individual national champion, winning the 100-yard and 200-yard backstrokes in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Swimming career

2011

At the age of 16, Murphy earned his first career international medals, both in the 200-meter backstroke. At the 2011 World Junior Swimming Championships in

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

, Murphy won a bronze medal in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:59.63. Later in 2011, at the

2011 Pan American Games The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games () and commonly known as Guadalajara 2011, were an international multi-sport event held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby c ...

, Murphy won another bronze also in the 200-meter backstroke. In the final, he recorded a time of 1:58.50.

2012

At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, Murphy missed the Olympic team, finishing sixth in the 100-meter backstroke (53.92) and fourth in the 200-meter backstroke (1:57.39). Following the Olympics, Murphy competed at the 2012 World Short Course Championships in Istanbul. He won a bronze medal in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:48.86, finishing behind Radosław Kawęcki and Ryan Lochte. Murphy earned a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay for his participation in the heats, swimming the backstroke leg with a time of 50.91.

2013

At the 2013 US National Championships, Murphy just missed qualifying for the 2013 World Aquatics Championships, finishing third in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke with times of 53.38 and 1:56.37, respectively.

2014

Murphy won the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes at his first NCAA D1 Swimming Championships. His 100-yard backstroke time of 44.78 was a US 17–18 National Age Group (NAG) record, and his 200-yard backstroke time of 1:37.23 broke both Tyler Clary's NCAA record and the 17–18 NAG record. He also placed eighth in the 200-yard IM and swam on Cal's 200 and 400 medley and freestyle relays en route to Cal winning the team championship.

2015

At the 2015 NCAA Championships, Murphy swept the backstroke events. He broke the American record previously held by Ryan Lochte in the 200-yard backstroke. He also won the 100-yard backstroke, breaking Lochte's NCAA record. Murphy also placed fifth in the 200 individual medley (IM) and was named CSCAA Swimmer of the Meet.

2016

NCAA Championships

At the 2016 NCAA D1 Swimming Championships, Murphy continued his backstroke winning streak with first-place finishes the 100- and 200-yard backstrokes in record times. His times of 43.49 and 1:35.73, respectively broke his own NCAA, American, and US Open records. He also placed third in the 200-yard IM in 1:40.27 and was once again was named CSCAA Swimmer of the Meet, this time sharing the title with former Bolles teammates Joseph Schooling and Caeleb Dressel.

US Summer Olympic Trials

At the 2016 United States Olympic Trials in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, Murphy made his first Olympic team by placing first in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke events. He also made the 4×100 medley relay by virtue of his win in the 100-meter backstroke.

2016 Rio Summer Olympics

At the

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Murphy won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke, as well as in the 4×100-meter medley relay together with Cody Miller,

, and Nathan Adrian."Everything you need to know about Olympic gold-medal swimmer Ryan Murphy"
''

NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division for NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, that is responsible for sports broadcasts on their broadcast network NBC, the Cable television, cable channels NBC owns, and on Peacock (streaming service) ...

''. February 25, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2021. Murphy broke Aaron Peirsol's

for the 100-meter backstroke with his relay split time of 51.85, and the relay team as a whole set a new Olympic record with a time of 3:27.95."Rio Olympics 2016: Michael Phelps bows out of Games with gold in men's relay"
''

BBC Sport BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC BBC Television, television, BBC Radio, radio and BBC Online, online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadc ...

''. August 14, 2016."The stars of Rio 2016"
''

''. August 29, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2021. Murphy's win in the 100-meter backstroke, with a time of 51.97 seconds, set a new Olympic record for the event."Ryan Murphy extends U.S. gold streak in 100 backstroke to 6"

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

. August 8, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2021.Freeman, Clayton (August 8, 2016)
"Bolles School grad Ryan Murphy wins gold in 100 back"
'' The Florida Times-Union''. Retrieved September 18, 2021. It also marked the sixth consecutive time a swimmer representing the United States had won the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the Olympic Games. His gold medal was also the first won by a male

alumnus Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

of a high school in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

for the United States in an individual swimming event. In total, at his first Olympic Games, Murphy raced and won gold medals in all three of his events, set three Olympic records and one world record, and was named as one of the stars of the 2016 Summer Olympics by the

2017

NCAA Championships

At the 2017 NCAA championships, Murphy completed his four-for-four sweep of the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events, becoming only the fourth man in NCAA history to sweep 100- and 200-yard events of a single stroke four years in a row after John Nabor (backstroke), Pablo Morales (butterfly), and Brendan Hansen (breaststroke). Murphy also placed third in the 200-yard IM, leading after the breaststroke leg but overtaken in freestyle.

World Championships

At the 2017 US National Championships, the qualifying meet for the

2017 World Aquatics Championships The 17th FINA World Championships () were held in Budapest, Hungary from 14 to 30 July 2017.

, Murphy won the 200-meter backstroke and placed second to Matt Grevers in the 100-meter backstroke to qualify for the World Championships later that year. At the 2017 World Swimming Championships in Budapest, Murphy placed third in the 100-meter backstroke behind Xu Jiayu and Grevers and second in the 200-meter backstroke behind Evgeny Rylov and ahead of countryman and former college teammate Jacob Pebley. Murphy also earned gold medals by swimming in the prelims on the 4×100-meter medley and mixed medley relays. The mixed medley relay set a World and Championship record time of 3:40.28 in the prelims, a record later broken by in the US team in finals.

2018

2018 Pan Pacific Championships

During the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in August 2018 in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, Murphy won three gold medals: one in the 100-meter backstroke, one in the 200-meter backstroke, and one in the 4x100-meter medley relay."Pan Pacific Swimming Championships 2018: Total Ranking"
''

Seiko , commonly known as Seiko ( , ), is a Japanese maker of watches, clocks, electronic devices, and semiconductors. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Seiko introduced the world's first commercial quartz wristwatch in 1969. Seiko is ...

''. August 9–12, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2021. Murphy's strong finish to the Championships, winning two gold medals on the final day of competition, was noted by Jacksonville newspaper '' The Florida Times-Union''.Freeman, Clayton (August 12, 2018)
"Murphy, Dressel finish Pan-Pacific swimming with gold"
'' The Florida Times-Union''. Retrieved September 22, 2021. His gold medal performance in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:53.57 established a new Championships record that was over 1.5 seconds faster than the silver medalist in the event, Ryosuke Irie. Murphy opened up to

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

after his success at the Championships, expressing he hoped that swimming in a pool close to where swimming competitions for the 2020 Summer Olympics would be held would help quell his superstitions concerning his performance at the upcoming Olympic Games.Tarrant, Jack (August 12, 2018)
"Swimming-Superstitious Murphy hoping for good Tokyo omens"

. Retrieved September 22, 2021. USA Swimming took notice of Murphy's swims at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships and nominated him for the "Relay Performance of the Year", "Male Race of the Year", and "Male Athlete of the Year" Golden Goggle Awards."2018 Golden Goggle Award Nominees"
'' USA Swimming''. September 26, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2021.Ross, Andy (September 26, 2018)
"USA Swimming Announces 2018 Golden Goggles Nominees"
''

Swimming World } ''Swimming World'' is a US-based quarterly swimming magazine that was first published in a magazine format as ''Junior Swimmer'' in January 1960. It concurrently runs online websites ''Swimming World Magazine'' and ''Swimming World News'' (kn ...

''. Retrieved October 2, 2021. In total, he won all three awards for which he received nominations."Katie Ledecky and Ryan Murphy win Golden Goggles awards"
'' Olympics.com''. November 20, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2021.

2018 World Short Course Championships

Murphy competed at the 2018 FINA World Swimming Championships in

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in December 2018. He won medals in three individual events: gold in the 100-meter backstroke, silver in the 50-meter backstroke, and silver in the 200-meter backstroke. He also medaled in three relay events: gold in the men's 4×100-meter medley relay, gold in the mixed 4×50-meter medley relay, and silver in the men's 4×50-meter medley relay."14th FINA World Swimming Championships December 11 – 16, 2018: Results Book"
'' Omega Timing''. December 16, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2021.

2019

2019 World Aquatics Championships

In July 2019 at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in

Gwangju Gwangju (; ), formerly romanized as Kwangju, is South Korea's list of cities in South Korea, sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated Special cities of South Korea, metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, Murphy won three medals. Swimming with Lilly King, Caeleb Dressel, and

Simone Manuel ] Simone Ashley Manuel (born August 2, 1996) is an American professional Swimming (sport), swimmer specializing in Freestyle swimming, freestyle events. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, 2016 Rio Olympics, she won two gold and two silver medals: gold ...

in the final of the Swimming at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships – 4 × 100 metre mixed medley relay, mixed 4×100-meter medley relay, he won a silver medal. The relay finished two hundredths of a second behind Australia. Murphy also won the silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke and the men's 4×100-meter medley relay."18th FINA World Championships 12 – 28 July 2019: Results Book"
'' Omega Timing''. July 28, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2021.

2021

2020 US Olympic Trials

In June 2021, Murphy qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in

in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2020 USA Swimming Olympic Trials.Faraudo, Jeff (June 15, 2021)
"Cal Swim: Ryan Murphy, Andrew Seliskar Secure Bids to the Tokyo Olympic Games"
''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

''. Retrieved June 16, 2021.Shinn, Peggy (June 16, 2021)
"Back on Track: Ryan Murphy and Regan Smith Qualify For Tokyo In the 100 Backstroke"
'' TeamUSA.org''. Retrieved June 16, 2021. He won the event at the US Olympic Trials, swimming a time of 52.33 at the final on June 15."2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wave II: Men's 100m Backstroke Final Results Summary"
'' Omega Timing''. June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021. He was the only veteran to qualify in the event for the 2020 Olympics; the other qualifier in the event, Hunter Armstrong, was a first-time member of the US Olympic Team.DeGeorge, Matthew (June 15, 2021)
"U.S. Olympic Trials: Veteran Ryan Murphy, Newcomer Hunter Armstrong Punch 100 Back Tickets"
''

''. Retrieved October 3, 2021. In the morning prelims of the 200-meter backstroke, Murphy placed fifth with a time of 1:57.95 and advanced to the semifinals."2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wave II: Men's 200m Backstroke Heats Results Summary"
'' Omega Timing''. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.Anderson, Jared (June 17, 2021)
"2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Wave II: Day 5 Prelims Live Recap"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved June 17, 2021. In the evening, Murphy swam a time of 1:55.60 and advanced to the finals in first-place overall."2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wave II: Men's 200m Backstroke Semifinals Results Summary"
'' Omega Timing''. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021. He swam a time of 1:54.20 in the final, winning the event and securing a spot at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 200-meter backstroke."2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wave II: Men's 200m Backstroke Final Results Summary"
'' Omega Timing''. June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.Sutherland, James (June 18, 2021)
"2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Wave II: Day 6 Finals Live Recap"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved June 18, 2021.

2020 Summer Olympics

Murphy was selected as one of four captains for the US Olympic swim team at the

along with Caeleb Dressel,

, and

Allison Schmitt Allison Rodgers Schmitt (born June 7, 1990) is an American competition swimmer who specializes in freestyle events. She is a four-time Olympian and a ten-time Olympic medalist. In her Olympic debut at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Sc ...

.Dornan, Ben (July 5, 2021)
"Murphy, Dressel, Schmitt & Manuel Named 2020 USA Olympic Swimming Captains"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved July 5, 2021. All four swimmers were veteran Olympians chosen to provide guidance for their fellow members of the US Olympic Swim Team, with Murphy highlighted for his calm demeanor and the stability he provided the team in a competitive context.Sagendorph, Kyle (July 6, 2021)
"Dressel, Murphy, Manuel, Schmitt Named Captains of 2020 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team"
. '' USA Swimming''. Retrieved October 3, 2021.Lohn, John (August 2, 2021)
"Ryan Murphy and Team USA Captains Provided Major Impact Through Their Leadership"
''

''. Retrieved October 3, 2021. On day two of Olympic competition, in the prelims of the 100-meter backstroke, Murphy swam a 53.22 and tied in overall ranking for seventh with Russian Evgeny Rylov.Sutherland, James (July 25, 2021)
"Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved July 25, 2021."Jacksonville's Ryan Murphy qualifies for 100m backstroke semi-final in first event"
'' WTLV''. July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021. In the semifinals the following day, Murphy swam the fastest in both semifinals heats with a time of 52.24 and advanced to the final.D'Addona, Dan (July 25, 2021)
"Olympic Semifinals: Ryan Murphy Makes Move, Leads Finalists in Men's 100 Backstroke"
''

''. Retrieved July 25, 2021. In the final, Murphy raced against a field of majority veteran Olympians, with five of the eight competitors, including himself, having competed in the final of the 100-meter backstroke at the 2016 Olympic Games. His time of 52.19 seconds won him the bronze medal.Bumbaca, Chris (July 26, 2021)
"Rio Olympic champion Ryan Murphy wins bronze in men's 100-meter backstroke"
''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

''. Retrieved July 26, 2021.Goodman, Eric (July 26, 2021)
"Ryan Murphy takes bronze in men's 100m backstroke"
''

NBC Olympics ''NBC Olympics'' is the commercial name for the NBC Sports-produced broadcasts of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games as shown in the United States on NBCUniversal platforms. They include the NBC broadcast network and many of the company's cabl ...

''. Retrieved October 3, 2021. Speaking to national newspaper ''

'' about winning the bronze medal after winning the gold medal in 2016, Murphy said, "Winning an Olympic gold means you're the best in the world. Being third in the world is no slouch." On the fifth day of competition, Murphy advanced to the semifinals in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:56.92, seventh overall in the prelims.Freeman, Clayton (July 28, 2021)
"Ryan Murphy advances safely in Tokyo Olympics 200 backstroke preliminaries"
'' The Florida Times-Union''. Retrieved July 28, 2021. In the semifinals, Murphy swam over one second faster than in the prelims with a time of 1:55.38 and qualified for the final in third place.Lepesant, Anne (July 28, 2021)
"Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Day 5 Finals Live Recap"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved July 28, 2021. Murphy won his second medal of the 2020 Olympics, a silver medal, in the final of the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:54.15 on day seven of competition.Freeman, Clayton (July 29, 2021)
"Ryan Murphy of Ponte Vedra Beach wins silver in Olympic 200 backstroke final"
'' The Florida Times-Union''. Retrieved July 29, 2021.Curtis, Jake (July 29, 2021)
"Cal at the Olympics: Silver for Ryan Murphy in 200 Backstroke"
''

''. Retrieved July 29, 2021. In the final of the 4×100-meter mixed medley relay, Murphy swam the backstroke leg of the relay, Lydia Jacoby the breaststroke, Torri Huske the butterfly, and Caeleb Dressel the freestyle leg of the relay; they placed fifth.Sutherland, James (July 30, 2021)
"Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Day 7 Finals Live Recap"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved August 2, 2021.Brennan, Christine (July 31, 2021)
"US swimmers fall short in mixed 4x100 medley relay debut, but 17-year-old Lydia Jacoby earns praise"
''

''. Retrieved August 2, 2021. It was the first time the event was included in the Olympic program for swimming. Murphy held off the field in his leg of the relay, tying Thomas Ceccon of

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

for first at the wall."Murphy, Team USA Place Fifth In Mixed Medley Relay"
''

Pac-12 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level for all sports, and its Co ...

''. July 30, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021. The American team fell to eighth place by the end of the butterfly leg of the relay but made up some time on the freestyle leg to place fifth overall. Jacoby's goggles had fallen off during her leg of the relay, to which Murphy responded, "Anyone that's swam with their goggles in their mouth like she did, she did fantastic." On the final day, Murphy swam backstroke in the final of the 4×100-meter medley relay with teammates Michael Andrew (breaststroke), Caeleb Dressel (butterfly), and Zach Apple (freestyle). The relay won the

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...

in a world record time of 3:26.78, setting a new Olympic record in the process.Goodman, Eric (July 31, 2021)
"U.S. breaks world record for medley relay gold, Dressel's fifth"
''

''. Retrieved August 2, 2021.Barzilai, Peter (July 31, 2021)
"US men set world record in 4x100 medley relay as Caeleb Dressel wins fifth gold of Tokyo Olympics"
''

''. Retrieved August 2, 2021.Curtis, Jake (August 1, 2021)
"Cal at the Olympics: Ryan Murphy, Tom Shields Get Gold; Abbey Weitzeil Gets Silver"
''

''. Retrieved August 2, 2021. By the end of the 2020 Olympics, Murphy had won a total of six Olympic medals, four in individual events and two in relay events, between his first (2016) and second (2020) Olympic Games. His contribution to the world record and gold medal in the final of the 4×100-meter medley relay earned him a nomination from the USA Swimming Foundation for the Golden Goggle Award for Relay Performance of the Year along with his finals relay teammates."Olympic Stars Headline USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards Nominees"
'' USA Swimming''. October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.D'Addona, Dan (October 13, 2021)
"Golden Goggle Award Nominees Announced by USA Swimming, led by Dressel, Ledecky, Jacoby, Finke"
''

''. Retrieved October 13, 2021. Additionally, Murphy's support of his teammates and the integrity of swimming as a sport, as well as his consistent performances since the 2016 Summer Olympics, earned him a nomination for the Male Athlete of the Year Golden Goggle Award. His swims in 2021 through the end of August secured his place on the 2021–2022 US National Team in the 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter backstroke events. USA Swimming (September 10, 2021)
"USA Swimming National Team Roster 2021–22"
''

''. Retrieved October 2, 2021.Lepesant, Anne (September 10, 2021)
"USA Swimming Names 114 Athletes To The 2021–22 National Team Roster"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved October 2, 2021.

International Swimming League

For the 2021 season of the

International Swimming League The International Swimming League (ISL) was an annual professional swimming league, established in 2019. It features a team-based competition format with fast-paced race sessions. In 2019, the regular season started in October and the Final Match ...

(ISL), Murphy was retained by the LA Current.Penland, Spencer (August 1, 2021)
"ISL Season 3: Free Agency Period Closed After 36 Free Agent Signings In July"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved August 2, 2021. He took a break from competition during the regular season of competition and remained on the roster heading into playoffs season.Keith, Braden (November 9, 2021)
"Ryan Murphy And Kristian Gkolomeev Due To Rejoin LA Current For ISL Playoffs"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved November 9, 2021. For his first race after the 2020 Olympic Games, Murphy swam a 1:48.43 in the 200-meter backstroke in the playoffs match number two, which was the fastest time in the 2021 year up to that point in time. ISL (November 13, 2021)
"ISL Match 13 Eindhoven (NED): Men's 200m Backstroke Results"
'' Omega Timing''. Retrieved November 13, 2021.Edmund, Emma (November 13, 2021)
"Ryan Murphy Makes Post-Olympic Debut With 2021 ISL Playoffs"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved November 13, 2021. For the second match of the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

, match thirteen overall, Murphy won enough points from his races to earn the

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

(MVP) of the match honor. ISL (November 14, 2021)
"ISL Match 13 Eindhoven (NED): Match MVP Standings"
'' Omega Timing''. Retrieved November 14, 2021.Lohn, John (November 14, 2021)
"Return of Ryan Murphy a Deciding Factor in L.A. Current's ISL Playoff Victory"
''

''. Retrieved November 14, 2021. In his second match of the playoffs season, match fifteen overall, Murphy ranked second overall in terms of MVP points, just 4.0 points behind Duncan Scott of London Roar, who was named match MVP. ISL (November 21, 2021)
"ISL Match 15 Eindhoven (NED): Match MVP Standings"
'' Omega Timing''. Retrieved November 21, 2021. Starting off his third and final playoffs match of the season, Murphy won 19.0 points for his team in one race, winning the 200-meter backstroke in a personal season-best time of 1:48.10. ISL (November 25, 2021)
"ISL Match 16 Eindhoven (NED): Men's 200m Backstroke Final Results"
'' Omega Timing''. Retrieved November 25, 2021.Carlson, Reid (November 25, 2021)
"2021 ISL Playoffs Match 5, Day 1: Live Recap"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved November 25, 2021. Later the same day, in the 50-meter backstroke, Murphy won the event and set new

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

, American, and ISL records with a time of 22.53 seconds, ISL (November 25, 2021)
"ISL Match 16 Eindhoven (NED): Men's 50m Backstroke Final Results"
'' Omega Timing''. Retrieved November 25, 2021. surpassing the previous records in the event that he himself had set in the 2020 ISL season at 22.54 seconds.Sutherland, James (November 25, 2021)
"Ryan Murphy Blasts #3 50 Back Of All-Time For New American Record – 22.53"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved November 25, 2021. The second and final day of the match, Murphy won the 50-meter backstroke skins event, outscoring his competitors and winning in the final head-to-head race against Evgeny Rylov of Energy Standard with a time of 24.22 seconds. ISL (November 26, 2021)
"ISL Match 16 Eindhoven (NED): Men's 50m Backstroke Skins Results"
'' Omega Timing''. Retrieved November 26, 2021.Rieder, David (November 26, 2021)
"Ryan Murphy and Evgeny Rylov Face Off for First Time Since Tokyo in ISL Playoff Match 5"
''

''. Retrieved November 27, 2021. Murphy's performances earned him the number two spot for "The Week That Was" from ''

'' for the week of November 29.Shay, Ashleigh (November 29, 2021)
"The Week That Was Ilya Shymanovich Takes Down a World Record"
''

''. Retrieved November 29, 2021. For the MVP points he had earned since the beginning of the ISL to the end of the 2021 season, Murphy ranked eighth overall with 610 points across thirteen matches.Keith, Braden (December 13, 2021)
"Sarah Sjostrom Becomes ISL's First-Ever Swimmer To Clear 1000 MVP Points"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved December 13, 2021.

2022

On day two of the 2022 US International Team Trials in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...

, Murphy qualified for the final of the 200-meter backstroke, ranking third in the prelim heats with a time of 1:57.46 USA Swimming (April 27, 2022)
"Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Men's 200m Backstroke Heats Results Summary"
'' Omega Timing''. Retrieved April 27, 2022. and winning the final, qualifying for the

2022 World Aquatics Championships The 2022 World Aquatics Championships, the 19th edition of the FINA World Aquatics Championships, were held in Budapest, Hungary, from 17 June to 3 July 2022. These championships included five disciplines, with high diving not staged for this edi ...

team with a time of 1:55.01. USA Swimming (April 27, 2022)
"Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Men's 200m Backstroke Final Results"
'' Omega Timing''. Retrieved April 27, 2022. He swam a time of 24.57 in the final of the 50-meter backstroke and placed fourth. USA Swimming (April 28, 2022)
"Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Men's 50m Backstroke Final Results"
'' Omega Timing''. Retrieved April 28, 2022. In the final of the 100-meter backstroke, Murphy placed second behind Hunter Armstrong with a time of 52.46 seconds, also qualifying for the World Championships team in the event. USA Swimming (April 29, 2022)
"Phillips 66 International Team Trials: Men's 100m Backstroke Final Results"
'' Omega Timing''. Retrieved April 29, 2022."2022 FINA World Championships Roster"
. '' USA Swimming''. April 30, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022. In October, he was named to the roster for the 2022 World Short Course Championships in the 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter backstroke."2022 FINA World Championships (25m) Roster"
'' USA Swimming''. October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022. 2024 Murphy placed first in the US Olympic Trials in the 200 M backstroke, becoming the first swimmer to win both the 200 and 100 events three years in a row. In Paris, he won bronze in the 100 M backstroke, silver in the 4 x 100 Medley, and gold in the mixed 4 x 100 medley.

International championships

: Murphy swam only in the prelims heats.

Personal best times

World records

Legend: r – relay lead-off leg with Michael Andrew (breaststroke), Caeleb Dressel (butterfly), Zach Apple (freestyle)

Olympic records

Legend: WR –

World record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

; r – relay lead-off leg split 51.85 in backstroke; with Cody Miller (breaststroke),

(butterfly), Nathan Adrian (freestyle)
split 52.31 in backstroke; with Michael Andrew (breaststroke), Caeleb Dressel (butterfly), Zach Apple (freestyle)

Awards and honors

, Match Most Valuable Player: 2021 Match 13 * ''

'', The Week That Was: November 29, 2021 (#2) * Golden Goggle Award, Male Athlete of the Year: 2018 * Golden Goggle Award, Relay Performance of the Year: 2018 ( 4x100-meter medley relay), 2021 ( 4x100-meter medley relay)Griswold, Molly (December 7, 2021)
"2021 Golden Goggle Award Winners"
''

''. Retrieved December 7, 2021. * Golden Goggle Award, Male Race of the Year: 2018 ( 100-meter backstroke) * '' SwimSwam'' Top 100 (Men's): 2021 (#7),Anderson, Jared (February 5, 2021)
"SwimSwam's Top 100 For 2021: Men's #10 — #1"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved October 11, 2021. 2022 (#9)Sutherland, James (January 24, 2022)
"SwimSwam's Top 100 For 2022: Men's #10–1"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved January 24, 2022. * ''SwimSwam'' Swammy Award, U.S. Swimmer of the Year (male): 2018Neidigh, Lauren (December 28, 2018)
"2018 Swammy Awards: U.S. Male Swimmer of the Year Ryan Murphy"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved October 3, 2021. * ''SwimSwam'' Swammy Award, NCAA Swimmer of the Year (male): 2014,Murphy, Ian (December 29, 2014)
"2014 Swammy Awards: NCAA Male Swimmer of the Year Ryan Murphy"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved October 3, 2021. 2016Neidigh, Lauren (December 25, 2016)
"2016 Swammy Awards: NCAA Male Swimmer Of The Year"
'' SwimSwam''. Retrieved October 5, 2021. *

, Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Men's Swimming & Diving): 2016—2017"Pac-12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year"
''

''. Retrieved October 3, 2021.Rieder, David (February 28, 2017)
"Ryan Murphy Named Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year"
''

''. Retrieved October 3, 2021. * Pac-12 Conference, Swimmer of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2017 * Pac-12 Conference, Freshman/Newcomer of the Year: 2014"Cal Sweeps Pac-12 Swimming Awards"
''

''. April 5, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021. * Golden Goggle Award nominee, Breakout Performer of the Year: 2014 USA Swimming (September 29, 2014)
"Ledecky and Phelps Lead 2014 USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards Nominees"
'' TeamUSA.org''. Retrieved October 3, 2021. * Golden Goggle Award nominee, Male Athlete of the Year: 2021

Personal life

Murphy began dating Bridget Konttinen who he met in college, in 2016.Laviola, Erin (February 25, 2023)
"Bridget Konttinen, Ryan Murphy’s Girlfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know"
'' Heavy''. Retrieved April 4, 2022. The couple announced their engagement on May 15, 2022."Olympic Champion Ryan Murphy Announces Engagement to Girlfriend Bridget Konttinen"
''

''. May 15, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022. In an interview with Melvin Stewart of '' SwimSwam'' in 2021, Murphy shared that he is approximately 95% Irish by ancestry; his mother is of full Irish descent and his father is approximately 90% Irish by ancestry. SwimSwam (July 1, 2021)
"Ryan Murphy Analyzes His 2021 Olympic Games Backstroke Competition"

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

. Retrieved July 2, 2021. Murphy was raised in a strong

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

family and remains committed to his faith, stating, "I’m a firm believer in God. My faith is important to me. There are, however, times when I rely on him more than others. Overall, I am private in my spirituality."

References

External links

* * *
Ryan Murphy – University of California athlete profile at CalBears.com

Ryan Murphy
at mySwimIO {{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Ryan 1995 births Living people American Roman Catholics American male backstroke swimmers California Golden Bears men's swimmers Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Swimmers at the 2016 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2024 Summer Olympics World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming Bolles School alumni Swimmers from Chicago Swimmers at the 2011 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in swimming 21st-century American sportsmen American people of Irish descent

Early life and education

Swimming career

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

NCAA Championships

US Summer Olympic Trials

2016 Rio Summer Olympics

2017

NCAA Championships

World Championships

2018

2018 Pan Pacific Championships

2018 World Short Course Championships

2019

2019 World Aquatics Championships

2021

2020 US Olympic Trials

2020 Summer Olympics

International Swimming League

2022

International championships

Personal best times

World records

Olympic records

Awards and honors

Personal life

See also

References

External links