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The United States came out swinging with a world record in the debut of the mixed medley relay at the FINA world championships, with Ryan Murphy starting things off with a 52.18 on the backstroke leg. That swim beat Mitch Larkin’s winning 100 back time at the meet.
Murphy said he wasn’t preoccupied with trying to beat Larkin’s time, but rather prove to the coaches that they made the right decision to give him the nod.
“It’s really awesome that they (U.S. coaching staff) gave me a shot to do that,” Murphy said. “I think my goal time was 52.5, 52.6. I think 52.1 was a different level from what I expected to go.”
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Murphy said he wished he had been a part of the 100 back event here. He was unable to swim in it because he did not qualify for the team in the 100 back based on swims from the USA Swimming nationals and the Pan Pacific championships last summer. He will swim the 200 backstroke in Russia.
Breaststroker Kevin Cordes also wanted to make a statement in his swim, as he did not qualify for the 100 breast. His 58.33 was faster than his split on the 400 medley relay at the Pan Pacific championships last summer, which was a major goal for him.
“I wanted to go out there and race and show that I could be on the 400 medley relay at the end of the meet,” he said. “I kind of needed to go out there and throw something down and get a time and position myself for Sunday.”
Kendyl Stewart swam the butterfly leg and said she was excited to break a world record, and she thought if she
“It’s a really strange race, because we’ve never been on a mixed relay before,” Stewart said. “We knew that if we were all close or on our best times that we had an awesome shot at the world record. We were nervous and excited because we didn’t know what to expect.”
Freestyler Lia Neal was happy that she didn’t have to face any male sprinters on the anchor leg, though she had a feeling that she would not have been caught by anyone based on the lead the Americans had.
“When I was standing on the blocks, I looked to see if any guys were on my leg, and it looked like it was all girls,” she said. “We had a big lead and it’s all girls. All I had to do was hold on to this lead.”
Did I miss anything or did Murphy break the |World Champioship record in the 100 back. It was Pirsol who swam 52.19 in Rome 2009 and now Murphy is better- 52.18???!!!
It doesn’t count because it was a mixed event.
As Ger mentioned, Murphy’s time will not count because it was done during a mixed-gender event. FINA created a rule in 2007 that said leadoff times done in mixed-gender events such as the mixed relays will not count for record purposes. This comes on the heels of Libby Trickett’s presumed world record in the 100 free during a mixed free relay race in the 2007 Duel In the Pool when she was in the lane next to Michael Phelps. It pretty much eliminates the possibility of a female setting a world record while drafting off a male’s wake in the lane next to them.
That rule, for better or for worse, does bring into perspective the relative value of these events on a LC Worlds program. I am a sceptic and feel their ‘case’ has been further weakened by their introduction to the program at a Worlds in the year preceding an Olympics where that, and a nation’r relative strength in OLYMPIC events are the prime focus for most nations.
This is NOT demeaning what was an outstanding swim by Murphy but conflating it with regards to the individual 100, tempting as it may be for some, is dangerous. This is one particular very fast 100 back swim but could he produce 3 swims of this nature ? Likewise with conflating Meili & Worrall’s Pan Am swims to the Worlds. Notably both of their fast swims were in heats with their finals performances being notably slower; also one less round.
In my opinion FINA in the case shows thier lack of understanding swimming as they so often do. A girl can draft off a boy so she can not achieve a world standart time. A guy Murphy in this case doesn’t need a girl to draft off. She is so much slower than he is. How can Murphy draft of a lady?
FINA should look into this situation and change the rule!!
Murphy should be awarded the Championship record in the 100 back at 52.18.
Great swim!!!!!
Waw