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Ryan Murphy Debriefs World Champs After Beginning and Ending Meet On Top

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

At the conclusion of the 2023 World Championships, SwimSwam sat down with Team USA men’s co-captain Ryan Murphy, who’s leaving Fukuoka with 2 golds, 1 silver, and 1 bronze. Murphy discusses what it takes to get through an 8-day meet like this as well as how he’s been able to maintain his podium status in the 100 and 200 back for the last 7 years.

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JakeFlyer
1 year ago

Great interview, Murph!

Joe
1 year ago

An accomplishment done with two of the best backstrokers not in the same pool

anty75
Reply to  Joe
1 year ago

You mean 2 RuZZians? Rylov is already done, very poor recent results and talking about retirement..Kolesnikov yes could have been a serious threat in 100 back though I am not sure if we can trust results of athetes based in RuZZia as its RUSADA not WADA guys that carry out doping control as its difficult to travel to RuZZia now.

thezwimmer
1 year ago

He should really give them their briefs back. Totally uncool!

Fukuoka Gold
Reply to  thezwimmer
1 year ago

Kyle Chalmers: he can have them. I swim nekkid anyway

Fetterman
1 year ago

Coleman’s “playing with his facial hair game” is really strong.

See the 15-second span from 3:25-3:40 for his genius at this: chin rub, eyebrow swipe, sideburn tug, and then a bonus ponytail pull.

Coleman: you are an inspiration to us all!

Gen D
Reply to  Fetterman
1 year ago

Channeling his inner Mel lol

Air Quality at YMCA Pools
1 year ago

So are we really just gonna accept Kliment Kolesnikov’s world record in the 50 back without questioning it? Like, no one thinks it’s a little fishy? I also made a world record too, but it was in my backyard 50 meter pool and it was my parents officiating and timing it. Can we recognize that world record?

Andrew
Reply to  Air Quality at YMCA Pools
1 year ago

yes, we are, because KK has consistently been one of the fastest 50 backstrokers in the world.

the swim was in a 50 meter pool with video proof. what more do you want?

Swimguy94
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

They’re probably implying clean drug test too

FinnSwim
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

Reliable testing regime. That’s not RUSADA without international eyes on it.

JimSwim22
Reply to  FinnSwim
1 year ago

That’s funny. ‘reliable’!?

Sub13
Reply to  Air Quality at YMCA Pools
1 year ago

The two world records that came out of Russia this year were from swimmers who already showed immense talent and promise. It’s not like they’re two random Russians who are now world class.

Philip Johnson
1 year ago

Murphy is a beast.

Fukuoka Gold
Reply to  Philip Johnson
1 year ago

He is. Rowdy was constantly drooling over Murphy’s tight abs.

Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

What a sore loser trying to find excuses for that 200 back when he got owned by his new father Hubert Kos.
No to mention that he was lucky in that 100 back winning in a slow time and I can’t wait for Kolesnikov and Rylov to come back next year to teach him a lesson.

@Coleman, next time ask him some hard questions or let Braden conduct the interviews because he’s the only one on the SS staff who is not afraid of putting swimmers on the spot.

Matt
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

Rylov isn’t in shape at all right now.

Pescatarian
Reply to  Matt
1 year ago

Too busy kissing Putin’s butt

I_Said_It
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

Because the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be over and all the sanctions will be lifted by then? sure… go with that.

Dressel GOAT
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
1 year ago

He started talking about his individual swims and immediately started making excuses about the 200 back “oh I have a lot of room to improve…Dave has ideas blah blah”
At that moment you should have asked him: Don’t you think that Hubert Kos deserved the win and you got outperformed ?

He then tried to make it sound that the outcome of the Mixed medley was gonna be different if not for Torri, where you could have put him on the spot and told him “ Don’t you think that China and AUS destroyed you? “

And then when it comes to him being team captain “which is a joke anyway in an individual sport”, why didn’t you ask… Read more »

Swimpop
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

So basically you’re asking Coleman why he wasn’t an ass instead of being respectful of the fact he was talking with a twice gold medalist? OK, be sure to include links to your budding journalism career clown.

Ryan
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

I mean I’m not sure you know what the word “excuse” means. “I have a lot to improve” and “we have some things to work on” sounds like someone taking more accountability and avoiding making excuses. He in no way diminished Hubert, because he can’t speak to how Hubert feels about his swim. He’s also completely correct about not being at his best- he was over a second off of his PR, which would have won him the race semi-comfortably. He wasn’t making excuses, he was telling things as he saw them.

About your medal table point, Team USA did about as well as they could have relative to their best times. Swimming is unique in that even if everyone… Read more »

Bignowhere
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

Most athletes are trained to focus on what is under their control. Murphy has not control over what any other swimmer does; he only has control over his own preparation. So it is pretty natural that his answers would focus on that.

You see this with athletes in all sports. When asked about their performance they mostly talk about what they could have done differently.

They might compliment the other athlete but that’s about all they can say about them, and that usually isn’t that interesting.

Eagleswim
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

How in the world is saying there is room for improvement “making excuses”?

Walter
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

You seem nice.

Eric Angle
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

I didn’t hear him make excuses. An excuse would be something like:

  • “if the event schedule had been different I think I would’ve been faster in the 200”
  • “US nationals being so close to worlds made it really hard to nail my taper for worlds” (this might be a legitimate excuse for some US swimmers)

Instead, he said he felt better about the 100 than the 200 in this meet, meaning he felt he was not at his best in the 200 and wanted to go faster. He framed that “shortcoming” in terms of what to work on for the future rather than dwell on the suboptimal result. He didn’t share specifics in this interview, but he may… Read more »

NotNicFink
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

This might be a more delusional take than any number of Rowdy Gaines’ wild comments this past week.

Pescatarian
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
1 year ago

Like “what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?”

I_Said_It
Reply to  Pescatarian
1 year ago

African or European?

VASWAMMER
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
1 year ago

I do love the behind the scenes questions though Ryan was much less forthcoming in that than other interviewees were. Would love to see some more of these though.

Kevin swim fan
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

It looks like Murphy may again be “lucky” next year in Paris. Rylov will surely not be swimming due to his support of the war. In the sports in which some Russian athletes has been permitted to compete, anyone who supported the war, was in the military, or is sponsored by a military sports club was not reinstated. I do not know about the status of athletes like Kolesnikov or Chikunova.
In many sports such as Fencing and Gymnastics, almost none of the top athletes will be in Paris.

IM FAN
Reply to  Kevin swim fan
1 year ago

I don’t understand this rhetoric about Rylov, the man hasn’t thrown down any notable times since Tokyo

snailSpace
Reply to  Kevin swim fan
1 year ago

Meh, ignoring everything else you have said, Kolesnikov or no Kolesnikov, he was never a favourite in the 100 back over Ceccon or potentially Armstrong, and if Kos continues to improve on the same trajectory as we have seen so far, going into the 1:53 range in the 200 back will be the least of Murphy’s problems come Paris. He won’t have it easy Russians or no Russians. Not to mention the ever improving young talent that will be potentially present by then (Coetze, Masiuk maybe Diehl).

NoFastTwitch
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

Is that you, Andrew?

JakeFlyer
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
1 year ago

How could you possibly view this as making excuses!? haha He wasn’t happy with his performance and is taking accountability. He then says hes going to to train and get better in the future

Admin
Reply to  JakeFlyer
1 year ago

Agree. L take from Dressel GOAT. You can’t sit and demand explanations and debriefing and then whine when you get them. This is what everyone has asked for from the swimmers, right? Deeper insights into what they’re doing, what went right, what went wrong?

Jean Marie
1 year ago

Ryan won two golds, one silver and one bronze.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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