As Ryan Murphy touched the wall Wednesday night following his semifinal performance in the 200-meter backstroke, everyone was in shock.
The defending silver medalist had just been eliminated.
Murphy posted a time 1:56.62 – ranking 10th among 16 competitors – leaving him one-tenth of a second away from the top eight, which was needed to secure a spot in Thursday’s finals.
“I really don’t have a great frame on it,” Murphy said.
“Obviously, I’m very disappointed. It’s my fault. I just didn’t gauge it well enough.”
American swimmer Ryan Murphy missed qualifying for the finals by one-tenth of a second.Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Sports
Murphy also missed out on marking history as he could’ve become the first swimmer to step onto the podium consecutively in both backstroke events, the 100-meter and 200-meter races.
He claimed a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke on Monday.
The Florida native flourished in gold at Rio for the 200-meter backstroke prior to claiming silver in the Tokyo Games.
The 29-year-old also won the 100-meter in Rio 2016 and claims a bronze medal in Tokyo.
Murphy entered the Paris Games with six medals, including four gold, making him one of the Americans’ stronger swimming competitors.
Monday’s third-place finish was followed by a gender reveal.
Murphy spotted his pregnant wife, Bridget Konttinen, in the stands, where she was holding a sign that read, “Ryan, it’s a girl.”
He finished with a time of 52.39 in the 100-meter in an intense final joust. USA Today noted that all eight finalists’ were within 0.84 seconds of each other.
Following Murphy’s exit in the 200, the Americans will turn to Keaton Jones – the 19-year old from Gilbert, Ariz. – who finished sixth in the 200-meter backstroke by clocking a time of 1:56.39.
As noted by Swim Swam, the United States has placed a swimmer on the podium every time in the event dating back to the 1996 Olympics.
