Keeping U.S. Backstroke Tradition Alive, Ryan Murphy On The Path To Special Status

On the last night of pool competition at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, there was much to digest. The exclamation point on Michael Phelps’ unmatched career – a reign featuring 28 Olympic medals. The Danish drought-ending gold medal of Pernille Blume in the 50 freestyle. A runaway triumph by Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri in the 1500 freestyle. A United States double in the medley relays that capped a 33-medal haul for the Americans.

Each of the aforementioned achievements merited attention, especially the final outing of Phelps in what was not only his farewell to the sport, but the completion of a spectacular comeback. At the same time, a certain accomplishment from the evening – the eighth in a tremendous week of action – did not receive the focus it deserved.

As Team USA wrapped up a 3-for-3 showing in the male relays, a convincing triumph over Great Britain completing the sweep, Ryan Murphy scorched the front end of the 400 medley relay. In 51.85, Murphy registered the fastest time in history for the 100 backstroke, bettering the 51.94 of Aaron Peirsol from the shiny-suit circus of 2009. The world record of the Cal standout might be one of the least-celebrated global standards in recent history, simply because it got lost in a many-a-moments night.

By leading off the relay in the most devastating way possible, Murphy united with Cody Miller, Phelps and Nathan Adrian to secure the last aquatic medal of the Games for Team USA. He also tidied up a meet which also yielded individual gold medals in the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke, and placed the 21-year-old in esteemed company among American backstrokers.

“This meet has been incredible,” Murphy said. “If you told me coming in that I’d come out with three gold medals and a world record, I’d tell you, you were crazy.”

A Decisive Path To Stardom

When Murphy uttered the quote that rounded up his trip to Rio, he was almost surely caught somewhere between living out a dream and ensuring he took a humble approach. Yet, any dedicated follower of the sport should not have been startled by what Murphy was able to produce in his first Olympiad.

For years, Murphy has been tabbed as a future star for Team USA. An age-group record-setter and high-school record-breaker at the prestigious Bolles School in Florida, Murphy and Olympic gold medals have been mentioned in the same sentence frequently. But pulling off the feat is an entirely different situation than forecasting the possibility. In Murphy’s case, the convergence of hope and reality meshed better than almost any imagined storyline.

Ryan Murphy of the United States reacts after winning the gold medal in the men’s 100 backstroke in Rio.

When Murphy was just eight years old, but already surging through the water in impressive fashion, he wrote a letter to his parents declaring a goal for his future. Atop an illustration that showed him with an Olympic gold medal, Murphy wrote: “I hope my swimming life continues and I become an Olympian when I grow up. I hope I will break the world record. I want to be the best swimmer in the world.”

There’s an innocence to Murphy’s writing …

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