Palos Heights-native Ryan Murphy is looking to add more Olympic gold to his collection, but he faces a critical test Sunday in Paris as he looks to make history.
Murphy will compete in the semifinals of the 100m backstroke competition, an event he’s captured consecutive medals in during each of the last two Olympics. He won the gold in the 2016 edition of the race, and earned a bronze medal in the 2020 Games.
He also has won medals in the 200m backstroke in each of the last two Olympics, and he’ll be aiming to become the only men’s swimmer to capture medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke competitions in three consecutive Olympics.
Before he can get there however, he has to earn a spot in the final, which he’ll have a chance to do Sunday in Paris.
Murphy will be in the pool at approximately 2:32 p.m. CT on Sunday, which you can catch on NBC Chicago or on Peacock. If he qualifies for the final, that will take place at 2:19 p.m. CT on Monday.
Following those races, Murphy will compete in the 200m backstroke qualifying rounds on Wednesday, racing in the third heat at 4:33 a.m. CT. If he advances to the semifinal, that will take place at 2:37 p.m. CT.
The final in that event is at 1:37 p.m. CT Thursday.
Murphy qualified with the fourth-best time for the 100m backstroke, and will be in the same semifinal race as South Africa’s Pieter Coetze, who put up the second-best time in the qualifying round.
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Murphy has won four gold medals and six medals overall in his Olympic career, with Paris his third foray into the pool during Olympic competition.
He is aiming to become the second men’s swimmer to capture a medal in three consecutive 100m backstroke races, with East Germany’s Roland Matthes capturing golds in 1968 and 1972 and a bronze medal in 1976.
Matthes won the 200m backstroke in both 1968 and 1972, but failed to medal in the 1976 race, giving Murphy the chance to make history in the pool in Paris.
