World Championships, Day Three Finals: Ryan Murphy’s Express Finish Gives Him Long-Awaited Gold in 100 Back
The USA’s Rio Olympic champion Ryan Murphy has tonight added the one gold medal missing from an already crowded trophy cabinet when he scored a slashing victory in the men’s 100m backstroke in what was a thrilling Fukuoka final.
Murphy, defending champion and world record holder, Italy’s Thomas Ceccon and his US teammate, 50m backstroke world record holder Hunter Armstrong, out in lane eight, all surged at the wall together to determine the new world champion –
It was the 28-year-old Murphy in 52.22 who lunged perfectly at the wall to out-touch last night’s 50m butterfly winner in Ceccon (52.27) by 0.05 with Armstrong, after scrapping into the final, taking bronze in 52.58.
Murphy produced the perfectly timed race, sitting in fourth at the 50m mark behind Polish 18-year-old Ksawery Masiuk who was down the first lap in a flash and off the wall in 25 flat from lane one.
Murphy turning in 25.53, with two-time champion Xu Jiayu (CHN) second in 25.35 and Ceccon third in 25.50 – Armstrong fifth in 25.60.
But it was a powerhouse second 50 in 26.29 from Murphy that sealed his long awaited golden moment.
And such a deserved gold medal too for Murphy after winning silver behind Ceccon in Budapest last year, fourth in Gwangju in 2019 and bronze in 2017.
Murphy is the eighth American to win the crown, following Bob Jackson (1978), Jeff Rouse (1991), Lenny Krayzelberg (1998), Aaron Peirsol (2003, 2005, 2007) and Matt Grevers (2013).
And he joins the ranks of US backstroke royalty Rouse, Krayzelberg, Peirsol and Grevers who have all won the coveted the Olympic and World Championship gold medal double.
Murphy said that finally winning the 100m backstroke world title wouldn’t define his career but would be an achievement he would certainly look back on when he was done.
“Coming here and getting that win gives me a lot of confidence going in to next year (Paris),” said Murphy.
“And to get that touch is cool – and (while) I medal at most meets I swim in to be on the top step gets me fired up for the rest of the meet.
“It was incredible to go in against a great field like that and come out on top.”
Bronze medalist Armstrong said on his performance from lane eight that he’d like to say it was intentional but couldn’t lie, admitting: “This meet’s definitely been a struggle. I don’t know why I was struggling to do what I know I’m capable of. At the end of the day, I was able to pull through and at least add another medal to the U.S.
Asked if he had made any adjustments for the final he said: “I just think it was a matter of, I embraced that, considering I barely made it through twice, I was supposed to be there. Whatever was going to happen, was going to happen. I was going to give it my best effort, and whether that was first, third or eighth, I’d be happy with it.
And on sharing podium with Murphy, he said it was always so special to see the anthem.
“And to get to share it with Murphy is always a privilege. This will be our second time sharing this podium for the 100 back, and he’s been trying for that title for many years, and I’m glad he was able to get it.”
And what a meet it has been for Ceccon, qualifying for tonight’s final in a semi-final swum before his gold medal swim in the 50m butterfly and following his silver medal with Italy in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay on night one – takes his medal tally to three in three nights. However, Ceccon did swim slightly faster in the semifinals with his 52.16, which would have been quick enough for gold.
