Five-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy expanded on his approach and mindset heading into the 2028 Olympics after returning to the pool earlier this year.
Murphy was featured on the Deal Sourcery Podcast in March, where, while primarily talking about his competitive career and his transition from being a professional swimmer into his career in deal sourcing, he dove into the motivation to get back in the water and his outlook for the next two years leading into the LA Olympics.
As we reported back in February, Murphy’s comeback is primarily fuelled by the opportunity to compete on home soil at the Olympics, but in his appearance on the Deal Sourcery Podcast, he said it’s still not a sure thing that will continue swimming through 2028.
The 30-year-old, who turns 31 in early July, is using this year as a “trial period,” swimming early morning practices while continuing his full-time job, to determine whether or not he’s willing to put in the work necessary to make an impact at the LA Olympics, and if he feels he’s still capable or not.
“This summer is basically like…do I get to the point where I’m like, OK, I’m confident I can go be impactful to the podium in 2028. That’s where my mindset’s at,” he said.
He said the determining factor will be based on what makes him the most excited over the next two years, whether it’s chasing two goals at once or solely focusing on his career in finance.
He feels satisfied with what he’s accomplished in swimming, and doesn’t feel any pressure to go achieve something that’s missing from his resume—it’s more about having the opportunity to race at a home Olympics.
“There’s no deep-seated feeling of ‘I have to go achieve this in the pool.’ I feel good about everything I’ve done in the pool,” he said. “It’s more about, do I want to put in the work to try and have a moment on U.S. soil. Because that’s a pretty unique experience. But that’s the appeal, is the U.S. soil, domestic Olympics. If it wasn’t in the U.S., I don’t know that this would be much of a consideration.”
Murphy returned to competition at last month’s Pro Swim Series stop in Sacramento, winning the men’s 50 back (25.17) and placing 2nd in the 100 back (53.91), and he’s also racing this week at the PSS leg in Indianapolis, qualifying 3rd into tonight’s final of the 100 back in 54.32.
Prior to his comeback in Sacramento, the former Cal Golden Bear had last competed at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where he won gold as the lead-off swimmer on the U.S. mixed 4×100 medley relay that broke the world record, while he also won silver in the men’s 4×100 medley relay and bronze individually in the men’s 100 back. In the 200 back, he missed the final, placing 10th.
Murphy had a perfect start to his Olympic career at the 2016 Games in Rio, sweeping the men’s backstroke events with double gold in the 100 and 200 back while also leading off the U.S. men’s 4×100 medley relay to gold, breaking the individual 100 back world record (51.85) in the process.
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Murphy added another gold in the men’s 4×100 medley relay while winning silver in the 200 back and bronze in the 100 back.
In addition to his five Olympic golds, Murphy also owns seven LC World Championship titles, including individual golds in the 200 back in 2022 and the 100 back in 2023.
You can watch Murphy’s full episode of the Deal Sourcery Podcast below:
U.S. back is unusually weak, so if Murph has a 52.5 in him, he should go for it. It will also help that he will not have to train or compete for a 200 back
“Deal Sorcery” is a bleak phrase.