Cal Sports Report

Cal Trio Captures Relay Gold at World Swim Championships

Former Golden Bears star Ryan Murphy joined current Cal swimmers Dare Rose and Jack Alexy to win 4x100 medley relay

Jake Curtis

The World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, concluded on Sunday with a major achievement for Cal-affiliated swimmers.

Former Cal star Ryan Murphy and current Cal swimmers Dare Rose and Jack Alexy made up three of the four swimmers on the USA 4x100 medley relay team that captured a gold medal in the final event of the meet.

The Americans finished with a time of 3:27.20, breaking the previous World Championships mark of 3:27.28 set in 2009 during the "supersuit" era. The Americans finished nearly two seconds ahead of second-place People's Republic of China, which was timed in 3:29.00. Australia was third in 3:29.62.

It was the second gold medal of the meet for Murphy, who won the 100-meter backstroke earlier. He also finished second in the 200-meter backstroke.

Alexy had won silver medals in the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle. Rose was a bronze medalist in the 100 butterfly.

Murphy led off the relay on Sunday, and he was clocked in 52.04 seconds in his backstroke leg, to give the USA team the lead. 

Following a breaststroke leg of 58.03 from Nick Fink, Dare swam a butterfly leg in a time of 50.13.

Alexy finished with a freestyle leg timed in 47.00.

The Americans finished nearly two seconds ahead of second-place People's Republic of China, which was timed in 3:29.00. Australia was third in 3:29.62.

“Going into the relays you are taking in four times the amount of confidence that you normally bring in. We have a lot of pride in representing our country and it is a great way to go out,” Murphy said.

Also, Hunter Armstrong, who left Ohio State last year to join the Cal pro contingent, won the 50-meter backstroke in the final individual event of the meet.

Cover photo by Mike Lewis. Ryan Murphy (far left), Dare Rose (second from right) and Jack Alexy (far right)

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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