Ryan Murphy

Quick Facts

• Specialty: Backstroke and freestyle

Biographical Information

Ryan Murphy is one of the world's premier backstroke swimmers and a multiple Olympic gold medalist. Known for his exceptional underwater skills and consistent performances, Murphy has established himself as a dominant force in backstroke events on both the national and international stages. His technical proficiency and competitive drive have made him a cornerstone of the U.S. national swimming team.

Murphy shows particular strength in the 100-meter backstroke with a personal best of 51.85 seconds (2016) and the 200-meter backstroke, where his personal best is 1:53.57 (2018).

Murphy had his first swim lesson at the early age of ten months old, following in the footsteps of his siblings, who were both competitive swimmers.

Murphy is passionate about water safety and co-owns a swimming school in Florida. He has been involved in various swimming clinics and motivational speaking engagements, sharing his expertise and experiences with young swimmers.

Murphy graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Business Administration. 

Olympic Highlights

Murphy's Olympic career has been characterized by consistent success and numerous achievements. His ability to excel in both 100m and 200m backstroke events has made him a valuable asset to the U.S. national swimming team.

At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Murphy delivered a series of outstanding performances that established him as a dominant force in swimming. He captured gold in the 100m backstroke with a time of 51.97 seconds, setting a new Olympic record in what would become one of the Games' highlights. He followed this with another gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke, finishing in 1:52:62 seconds. Murphy completed his perfect Rio 2016 Games campaign by securing a third gold medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay, contributing to the team's winning time of 3:27.95.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Murphy continued to demonstrate his competitive excellence, though with different results. He earned a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke final with a time of 52.19 seconds and claimed silver in the 200m backstroke final, finishing in 1:54.15. He then helped secure another gold medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay final, where his contribution led to a winning team time of 3:27.28.

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Murphy picked up three more medals including a gold for the 4x100m mixed medley relay.

World Championships

Throughout these championships, Murphy has not only contributed to individual events but has also been an important member of the U.S. medley relay teams, emphasizing his value to the national team.

At the 2017 world championships in Budapest, Murphy showcased his versatility and team excellence, securing gold medals in both the 400m medley relay and 400m mixed medley relay. He also shined in his individual events, earning silver in the 200m backstroke and bronze in the 100m backstroke.

The 2019 world championships in Gwangju saw Murphy claim three silver medals—in the 200m backstroke, 400m medley relay, and 400m mixed medley relay. He maintained his consistency at the 2022 world championships, returning to Budapest to secure another silver medal in the 200m backstroke. The following year at the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka, Murphy added to his impressive medal collection with a gold in the 100m backstroke and silver in the 200m backstroke.

Early Life

Murphy attended The Bolles School in Jacksonville, known for its strong swimming program, where he set national high school records.

At the University of California, Berkeley, Murphy's talent flourished. He won multiple NCAA titles and set NCAA records, establishing himself as one of the most successful collegiate swimmers.

Olympic Experience

• 3-time Olympian; 9-time Olympic medalist (5 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
  • Olympic Games Paris 2024, gold (4 x 100m Medley Relay - Mixed), silver (4 x 100m Medley Relay - Men), bronze (100m Backstroke - Men), 10th (200m Backstroke - Men)
  • Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, gold (4 x 100m Medley Relay - Men), silver (200m Backstroke - Men), bronze (100m Backstroke - Men), 5th (4 x 100m Medley Relay - Mixed)
  • Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016, gold (100m Backstroke - Men, 200m Backstroke - Men, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Men)

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 2023 – gold (100m Backstroke - Men, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Men), silver (200m Backstroke - Men), bronze (4 x 100m Medley Relay - Mixed)
• Years of participation: 100m Backstroke - Men 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023; 200m Backstroke - Men 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023; 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Men 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023; 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Mixed 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023; 100m Backstroke (SC) - Men 2018, 2022; 200m Backstroke (SC) - Men 2012, 2018, 2022; 4 x 100m Medley Relay (SC) - Men 2012, 2018, 2022; 4 x 50m Medley Relay (SC) - Men 2018, 2022; 4 x 50m Medley Relay (SC) - Mixed 2018, 2022; 50m Backstroke (SC) - Men 2018, 2022; 50m Backstroke - Men 2019
• Medals: 31 (16 gold, 12 silver, 3 bronze)
  • Gold – 2023 (100m Backstroke - Men, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Men); 2022 (200m Backstroke - Men, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Mixed, 100m Backstroke (SC) - Men, 200m Backstroke (SC) - Men, 4 x 100m Medley Relay (SC) - Men, 4 x 50m Medley Relay (SC) - Mixed, 50m Backstroke (SC) - Men); 2018 (100m Backstroke (SC) - Men, 4 x 100m Medley Relay (SC) - Men, 4 x 50m Medley Relay (SC) - Mixed); 2017 (4 x 100m Medley Relay - Men, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Mixed); 2015 (4 x 100m Medley Relay - Men); 2012 (4 x 100m Medley Relay (SC) - Men)
  • Silver – 2023 (200m Backstroke - Men); 2022 (100m Backstroke - Men, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Men, 4 x 50m Medley Relay (SC) - Men); 2019 (200m Backstroke - Men, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Men, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Mixed); 2018 (200m Backstroke (SC) - Men, 4 x 50m Medley Relay (SC) - Men, 50m Backstroke (SC) - Men); 2017 (200m Backstroke - Men); 2015 (4 x 100m Medley Relay - Mixed)
  • Bronze – 2023 (4 x 100m Medley Relay - Mixed); 2017 (100m Backstroke - Men); 2012 (200m Backstroke (SC) - Men)