You are working on Staging1

Ryan Murphy Makes History as First Swimmer to Sweep Backstroke Events at World Champs

2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ryan Murphy became the first man or woman to sweep all three backstroke events at one world championships, capping his triple with a 200 back title on Sunday at the 2022 Short Course World Championships.

The 27-year-old American concluded the meet by contributing to the U.S. men’s 4×100 medley relay team that tied Australia in a new world-record time. Murphy brought home five gold medals from Melbourne, earning him Swimmer of the Meet honors.

“It’s an incredible result tonight, both the victory and the world record,” Murphy said. “My goal coming in was to add as many medals to Team USA as possible, and we did that tonight and added a world record, too. Swimming is a sport where you get so few opportunities to race and I really want to take advantage of every opportunity.

“It’s really cooled to be selected as the Swimmer of the Meet,” he added. “It’s a confusing sport and you never really know how you are going to perform. I always try to put my head down and hope for the best.”

Murphy began his triple on Wednesday with a 100 back victory in a Championship-record time of 48.50, demolishing the previous mark set by Russia’s Stanislav Donetc back in 2010. He followed that up with a controversial 50 back win in 22.64 on Friday before clocking a 1:47.41 to claim the 200 back title on Sunday.

Despite his busy schedule and successful performance at Short Course Worlds, Murphy plans to keep training with his foot on the gas through next summer. After taking an extended break this past summer, he was able to get in shape in time for Short Course Worlds, though his 200 back performance made him realize he still has work to do on the endurance front.

When I got the invite, I wasn’t sure I was going to come,” Murphy said. “I had taken a lot of time off this summer and I wasn’t sure I was going to be ready for this. I am glad that i got back into training and pushed it hard and had a good showing out here.

“I feel a lot better about the speed than the endurance,” he added. “I like the 50 and the 100 a lot better than the 200. I know what I am going to work on over the next few months going into the long-course season. I’m not going to take a few days off over Christmas. For me it will be head down, one foot in front of the other. I will lift my head up in June and see how it goes.”

Murphy is the first man to pull off a triple gold in any stroke in a decade since Ryan Lochte swept the IMs in both 2010 and 2012. On the women’s side, Katinka Hosszu triumphed in all three IMs in 2016 and 2018. Masami Tanaka tripled in women’s breaststrokes in 1999, the first year 50 strokes were added to the program.

Murphy swept the two Olympic backstrokes in 2016 (the 50 isn’t offered at the Olympics). At last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, Russia’s Yevgeny Rylov swept both backstrokes. All Russian swimmers are banned from international competition due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, but Rylov specifically was barred for the entirety of 2022 after attending a pro-Vladimir Putin rally in March.

Italy’s Thomas Ceccon broke Murphy’s 100 back world record in long course this summer in Budapest, but he opted to swim non-backstroke events this week.

Murphy’s teammate, Nic Fink, nearly pulled off a breaststroke triple with wins in the 50 and 100 breast. He took silver behind Daiya Seto in the 200 breast.

“I think Team USA did a really nice job this week,” Murphy said. “Throughout the meet we found our successes and created the momentum.

“I think Team USA must deal with how we select teams,” he added. “This is a team that really excels at long course.”

In This Story

29
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

29 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
MIKE IN DALLAS
1 year ago

In all of 2022, Ryan Murphy and Nic Fink have been my top two male swimmers to watch!
On the women’s side, it’s got to be King. . . . she is a ton of fun to watch

Hank
1 year ago

What USA short course swimmers were not here that could have made a difference and replaced underperforming swimmers? Beata Nelson? Coleman Stewart? Who else?

PhillyMark
Reply to  Hank
1 year ago

Ress

Andrew
Reply to  PhillyMark
1 year ago

Not gonna lie, NC State athletes have kinda gotten screwed over in the last 2 years.

anonymous
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

How did they get screwed over?

MCH
Reply to  Hank
1 year ago

Luca

oxyswim
Reply to  Hank
1 year ago

Gretchen Walsh would have been a huge piece.

homey looking skinny
1 year ago

none of the top backstrokers were there

Homey looking skinny
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

fair call. Another epic backstroke sweep is Kaylee Mckeown who now has a sweep in the Oly, world (long and short) and commies for the 200
Only Hackett has done that before

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Homey looking skinny
1 year ago

ian thorpe did it in the 200 free

Awsi Dooger
1 year ago

Awesome achievement but the 50 victory stands proudly at a different plateau than the other two. Imagine the physical and mental fortitude to regroup and dominate it at a different hour than originally planned.

Jimmyswim
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
1 year ago

The 50 victory definitely stands on another level than the other two. But not in the way you’re implying.

Sub13
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
1 year ago

Certainly took a lot less physical and mental fortitude than if he had won it the first time.

I get that you’re just a troll who’s looking for a reaction, but there is zero pressure on the veteran who lost and gets another shot and also swims distance and skins. The pressure is all on the teenager who won the first race in a WJR and is a pure sprinter who is seeking their first world title.

Yikes
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Don’t provoke Sub13 into another Ryan Murphy-related meltdown

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Lol that’s a bit of projection

That teenager also could’ve reacted better than “I’m not doing it again!!!”

Kids, so *soft* these days smdh…

anonymous
Reply to  Steve Nolan
1 year ago

I thought his initial reaction was raw and ADORABLE. Just something a high school senior aged teenager would blurt out for all the world to hear.

Yikes
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Who are you to decide Ryan Murphy feels zero pressure?? Veterans are under pressure to perform and maintain success; I’d argue more than an internationally unknown teenager with nothing to lose. We all feel it shook out badly but not everything is so binary. You seem like the kind of person who never thinks they’re wrong about anything based on the way you talk down to everyone on here who presents a worldview contrary to your own… probably just an absolute joy to be around

Last edited 1 year ago by Yikes
Beginner Swimmer at 25
1 year ago

Overlooked swimmer of the meet

homey looking skinny
1 year ago

klem would have had this dude for breakfast in the 50 and 100

Verram
1 year ago

Thanks FINA

Splashy
1 year ago

Murphy is an absolute beast.. However he himslef said to Isaac Cooper who had the fastest time in the 50m backstroke that in his mind he won it after the officials bungled the race. Shows his sportsmanship. For that I respect him even more. Next worlds we will be blown away by Isaac Cooper, lets see what Ceccon does, Then it’s Paris 2024!

MIKE IN DALLAS
Reply to  Splashy
1 year ago

As long as Cooper doesn’t get sent home again, as he did at Commonwealth Games

Jay Ryan
Reply to  Splashy
1 year ago

Recall the Murphy was 22.37 leading off the mixed relay!!

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

Read More »