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U.S. OLYMPIC SWIM TRIALS

June 28, 2016

Ryan Murphy

Omaha, Nebraska

THE MODERATOR: We will get started with Ryan Murphy, winner in tonight's 100 Meter Backstroke. Ryan, tell us how the race went down from your perspective with such a tight and exciting finish there.

RYAN MURPHY: Obviously very excited going into the race. Obviously, I knew it was going to be really close. I was trying to be a little bit more relaxed the first 25, just to make sure I had enough at the last 25, so I probably took it out -- I took it out a little bit slower than semis just to make sure that the last 25 was going to be good, and, you know, I'm super excited just to carry on that legacy.

Q. How was your experience in the ready room. Describe that?
RYAN MURPHY: It was pretty typical of the ready room, none of the backstrokers talk too much in the ready room, everyone was quiet. I was listening to music and everyone else was doing their thing, like hitting themselves or stretching a little bit, but the tension was palpable in there. You could definitely tell there was a lot of nerves, a lot of excitement, so it was super cool.

Q. So when did you think that you actually had it, during the race? Also, during this entire meet experience, how was your level of stress?
RYAN MURPHY: Um, so, the first part, I didn't know I had it until I looked up and saw it. In prelims and semis I was looking at the Jumbotron a lot, finals I didn't look at it at all, so I mean all I could see was splashes, and I didn't know, like, whether it was coming from their arm going over or hitting the water, so I knew it was tight; I saw that off the turn, but I never knew I had it.

Then in terms of stress, I think one of the great things is I have a huge team here. I think we have 20-something guys, so it's basically just like another college meet for me, so it's a lot better when you have your best friends around keeping you calm, just keeping everything normal. That will helped me a lot in terms of nerves and stress.

Q. Ryan, did you feel the pressure? Because everyone called you the favorite, especially what you did at NCAAs. Were you feeling pressure tonight?
RYAN MURPHY: I wasn't feeling the pressure. I was more excited than anything, you know. I've been telling Dave all season, I'm like, man, I can't wait to get to an exciting meet, because we've been going to all these, like, boring meets. Canadian Trials was kind of boring, there wasn't many in the stands for B finals, and then we went to Atlanta and that was kind of boring, and Santa Clara, and it was cool to be in an environment where everyone really cared and everyone wanted to do their best, so, no, I wasn't stressed.

I didn't feel pressure, kind of going off what I told Joe, you know. When you're here with all your teammates and all your best friends, it keeps everything pretty normal and pretty chill. I was more excited than anything.

Q. To dethrone a champion like Matt Grevers, knock him off the team in the backstroke, kind of a change of the guard. What does that mean to you as far as your career?
RYAN MURPHY: Well, I mean, my heart goes out to Matt. He's a super nice guy. I have a great relationship with Matt. He was born in Chicago, I was born in Chicago, so I feel like we kinda got that midwestern upbringing connection, and he's been someone I've gotten along with really well, and he's definitely been a role model of mine and someone I've looked up to, so it was super cool to be in the race with him, just as it is any other time.

You know, it just turned out in my favor tonight.

Q. When you're out so fast -- I know you were gunning for that world record, did it bother you at all that you didn't get it, even though obviously winning the Olympic Trials is pretty nice?
RYAN MURPHY: I think we'll look at the race, and I'm sure we'll find a couple of tenths, hundredths here and there. I don't think that's my, like, peak time, the fastest I can go. I definitely think there is a little bit more there.

But, I mean, the adrenaline and all that, everything coming together, I think that was a good race for tonight, but I'm definitely going to be looking to go a little bit faster come Rio.

Q. So, like I said, looking ahead to that 200 Backstroke, what is the plan for resting, resetting, even though you have the 100 Freestyle tomorrow?
RYAN MURPHY: I was talking to Dave, and we're not going to swim the 100 Free tomorrow, now, so just chilling tomorrow and then just working through the three times for the 200 Back, trying to get better each one, and then battle in the final.

Q. I would like to ask you what about the field at the Olympics. Do you already have an idea of what will happen there?
RYAN MURPHY: Yeah, I mean, the world is very good at backstroke, too. When you're talking about international backstrokers, the first name that comes up is Mitch Larkin, and I've raced Mitch a lot, super nice guy, so he's going to be right there. I think Camille Lacourt was second last summer in the 100 Back, so he'll be right there. Then, you know, it's the Olympics, anything can happen. I'm sure a bunch of guys are going to have a couple of, like, one-offers there that are very impressive, and hopefully I can come out on top there.

Q. Following a really great tradition of American backstrokers. The US has won the 100 Backstroke five straight Olympics with Rouse, Krayzelburg, Peirsol, Peirsol and Grevers. What does that mean to you to be going in and defending such a legacy?
RYAN MURPHY: It's huge. I mean, something I've said a lot tonight is, you know, every since I started swimming, it's been a dream of mine to go to the Olympics and, you know, when I think of Olympics, I think of those guys.

I was always a backstroker growing up, so that was the event I always got super excited to watch for the Olympics. I can't remember 2000, so I can't really remember the Krayzelburg days, but definitely Aaron Peirsol was -- he was one of the guys for me, and one of the guys that I tried to model my swimming after.

And, you know, a chance that I could do -- start something that -- kind of similar to what he did is really a dream come true.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Ryan.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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