Ryan Murphy learns ‘it’s a girl,’ earns his third 100-meter backstroke Olympic medal
PARIS — Ryan Murphy did something Monday that hasn’t been done for half a century, swimming to a medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke during a third consecutive Olympics.
But that was only the second-best news he got on the third night of competition at the Paris Games. Because as he was standing near the medal stand, he spotted his pregnant wife in the stands. And she had a message for him.
“I saw Bridget holding up a sign that said ‘Ryan, It’s a Girl’,” he said. “That was a great way to find out. That really lit me up and brought this night to another level.”
East Germany’s Roland Matthes, in 1976, was the last man to win a 100-meter backstroke medal in three straight Olympics. And for most of Monday’s race it looked as if Murphy would match that by making his third medal a gold one. But after leading until the final meters, he saw world record-holder Thomas Ceccon of Italy sweep by to win in 52 seconds flat. China’s Xu Jiayu was second in 52.32, 0.07 seconds ahead of Murphy, who has a chance at an eighth Olympic medal when he faces Ceccon and Xu again in the 200-meter backstroke heats Wednesday.
However, Murphy, 29, wasn’t counting medals Monday; he was counting daughters.
“It’s really exciting to learn that I’m going to be a girl dad,” he said. “Up to this point swimming has been the most important thing in my life. Every major decision in my life has been made with swimming in mind. That’s going to change.
“Everything is going to be dedicated to that little girl.”
American backstroke star Ryan Murphy wins the men’s 100-meter backstroke and Lilly King wins the 100 backstroke at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.
In the women’s 100-meter breaststroke, an event Lilly King used to own, the American missed a medal by 0.01 seconds. South Africa’s Tatjana Smith claimed the gold in 1:05.28, with China’s Tang Qianting second and Ireland’s Mona McSharry just out-touching King for third.
King, 27, who has said these are her last Olympics, will have a chance at her sixth Olympic medal in Thursday’s 200-meter breaststroke, the weaker of her two races.
In the evening’s other featured event, the women’s 200-meter freestyle, Australia’s Mollie Callaghan upset teammate Ariarne Titmus — and she needed to break Titmus’ Olympic record to do it, winning in 1:53.27.
Titmus, who beat American Katie Ledecky to win the 400-meter free on Saturday, was second in 1:53.81 while Siobhan Bernadette Haughey of Hong Kong was third in 1:54.55.
The Tasmanian-born Titmus, known as the Tasmanian Terminator, won four medals, including two golds in Tokyo, but she wasn’t sure she’d even be in Paris, much less making two trips to the podium, after undergoing surgery to remove a large growth on her right ovary last September.
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Her swimming career suddenly seemed a minor thing compared to the prospect she might have cancer or be unable to have a child. But the two tumors doctors cut out proved benign ,and after a few weeks’ recovery Titmus resumed training.
Her race Monday brought her to tears.
“These are happy tears,” she said. “Honestly, it’s really hard to hold your emotions in in these situations. I know what it’s like to be Olympic champion. I had nothing to lose tonight. I’m Olympic champion forever in the 200 and the 400 and I gave it everything.
“I don’t actually know why I’m crying. I’m really happy with silver. It’s hard to hold it in and so it’s just coming out now.”
In the first race of the night session, Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh cruised to her second medal of these Games, winning the women’s 400-meter individual medley in 4:27.71, nearly six seconds head of Katie Grimes of the U.S., who also cried briefly as she received her medal.
U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky dropped her first showdown with Australian rival Ariarne Titmus, placing third in the 400-meter freestyle at the Olympics.
American Emma Weyant, who was second in Tokyo, closed fast to nip Great Britain’s Freya Constance Colbert for the bronze in 4:34.93.
In a razor-tight men’s 200-meter freestyle, Romanian’s David Popovici touched the wall 0.02 seconds ahead of Great Britain’s Matthew Richards to win gold in 1:44.72. American Luke Hobson was .005 seconds back of Richards in third.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Hobson said. “It was a really close race and I gave it everything I had in the last 50 meters.”
The U.S. has medaled in nine of the 12 finals in Paris, winning two golds and 11 medals overall, nearly double the total of second-place Australia, which has six.
