Ryan Murphy Returns After 2 Years, Finishes Strong Second

Two years away from competitive swimming didn't slow down Ryan Murphy much as the Olympic champion nearly won his comeback race at the Pro Swim Series in Sacramento on Wednesday.

Murphy, who last competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finished second in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 53.91 seconds. He came just 0.17 seconds behind winner Daniel Diehl, showing he still has the speed that earned him nine Olympic medals.

The 30-year-old California native looked like his old self in the first half of the race. He touched the wall at 25.00 seconds at the 50-meter mark, more than a second ahead of Diehl. The second half proved tougher as Murphy lost nearly half a second to his competitor, but the close finish proves his training during the two-year break paid off.

Murphy's medal collection includes two individual gold medals and seven relay medals across three Olympic Games. At Paris 2024, he added three more medals to his trophy case: bronze in the 100-meter backstroke and gold and silver in relay events.

Other Olympic champions also made strong showings on the first day of the four-day meet. Torri Huske, a three-time Olympic champion, won the women's 200-meter individual medley by nearly two seconds in her first long-course competition since the 2025 World Championships. Canada's Finlay Knox claimed victory in the men's 200-meter individual medley, and Paris bronze medalist Katharine Berkoff won the women's 100-meter backstroke.

Why This Inspires

Murphy's performance shows that taking time away from elite competition doesn't mean giving up excellence. His two-year break let him recharge while maintaining the training that keeps him competitive at the highest level. Coming back to finish within two tenths of a second of first place proves that Olympic champions can step away and return stronger.

The tight finish suggests Murphy has plenty more races ahead of him, and fans of Team USA swimming have good reason to feel excited about what comes next.