Palos Heights-native Ryan Murphy has already taken care of one part of his quest for Olympic history, but he’ll be back in action Wednesday as he tries to take the final step toward achieving that lofty goal.
Murphy captured his seventh career Olympic medal earlier this week when he earned a bronze in the 100m backstroke, and while he does have four gold medals, a silver medal and two bronze medals to his credit, there is one more piece of his resume that could put him in a class of his own.
If Murphy wins a medal in the 200m backstroke event, he will become the first Olympian ever to capture medals in three consecutive Olympics in both the 100m and 200m backstroke competitions.
Currently, Murphy is scheduled to take part in the third qualifying heat on Wednesday in Paris, with the starting gun scheduled to fire at 4:33 a.m.
If he qualifies for the semifinals, he won’t have long to rest and reset, as those semifinals will take place at approximately 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The final for the 200m backstroke will take place at 1:37 p.m. Thursday, according to NBC Olympics.
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Of course, medals aren’t the only thing Murphy is bringing home with him from Paris. After he captured the bronze medal, his wife Bridget held up a sign revealing that the couple is expecting a daughter, drawing a huge smile from her husband.
“That’s a great way to find out,” he said. “That really lit me up and brought this night to a whole other level. It’s really exciting to learn that I’m going to be a girl dad.”
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