United States Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy will be making his return to competition at the 2026 Pro Swim Series in Sacramento next weekend.
The third stop of the series is just one week away, and host team DART Swimming announced on Instagram that Murphy will be racing.
Murphy last raced at the Olympic Games in Paris, where he finished 3rd in the 100 back and 10th in the 200 back. He also won a silver medal as the backstroker on the U.S. 400 medley relay.
He made his Olympic debut at the 2016 Games in Rio, going three-for-three in gold medals with victories in the 100 back, 200 back and the men’s 400 medley relay. In the last race of the Games (also the last race of Michael Phelps‘ career), Murphy broke the world record in the 100 back, leading off the relay in a time of 51.85.
In 2021, he finished 2nd in the 200 back and 3rd in the 100 backstroke, and picked up a 3rd Olympic gold in the medley relay.
Since racing at the Olympics in Paris, Murphy had a daughter, Eevi, in January of 2025. In May of 2025, he announced he would be taking the summer off from racing to spend more time with his wife and daughter and to focus on “career interests beyond swimming.”
In January, he announced that he and his wife, Bridget, were expecting another daughter due this summer.
We don’t have official psych sheets for the meet yet, but DART Swimming has confirmed autograph appearances from Luca Urlando, Santo Condorelli, Michael Andrew, Aiden Hayes, Joey Tepper, and Phoebe Bacon, meaning these athletes will at least be in the area.
The Sacramento meet also features semifinals and double prize money in the 200s of stroke, though Murphy is historically stronger in the 100 backstroke.
Anybody know if he’s been lifting during his break? Does he still look like a tank?
Even though the backstroke events for the USA men don’t have swimmers in the top 5, he still needs to go 24 low and probably 52.5 to have a good chance at making the Olympic Team. He’s not getting any younger and those times would have been right about where he was before he took a break.
I’m interested to see how he does at this meet.
Apparently Dean Farris is too
If he’s serious about a tribute to the water deities, he’ll name his next daughter Vaporeon
Psych sheets are out. Huske is also competing
I saw a TikTok from Claire Weinstein, and I think she will compete in Sacramento as well (and maybe some squad from the Sandpipers?).
She is and is on the sheets. Bella is also going
This meet has semis for the stroke 200s?? Oof
Murph will make the team in 100 back.
Now Dressel is another conversation. I wish he’s focus either on 50/100 fly, 50 Fr is going to be very tough to make in LA for him, I know all events are very competitive due to Ilya switching to USA, but his best chance is going to be 50/100 fly.
6 spots in the 100 free makes it hard to count him entirely out of that event
He won’t make that
6 spots assuming enough doubles- which has been a problem in the past for the mens team
Dressel dropped a 48.9 in Lauderdale. That’s not that fast but it is good for right now.