Ryan Murphy, Hunter Armstrong, Jack Alexy Get Silver in Olympic Relay

Cal swimmers help U.S. finish second, but it ended the Americans' unbeaten gold-medal streak in the men's 4x100 medley relay

Hunter Armstrong / Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Three Cal swimmers won silver medals in the men’s 4x100 medley relay on Sunday, but it ended a streak of dominance by the United States in that event.

The U.S. had won gold medals in the men’s 4x100 medley relay in all 15 Olympics in which it had participated (it boycotted the 1980 Olympics), and had won gold in each of the last 10 Olympics in that event.

This time Cal graduate Ryan Murphy, in what probably will be the final Olympic swim of his life, swam the leadoff backstroke leg for the U.S. in the final, and Hunter Armstrong, a member of Cal’s training program, sawm the freestyle final leg. Those two along with breaststroker Nic Fink and butterfly star Caeleb Dressel finished in a time of 3:28.01, which was 0.55 of second behind the gold-medal-winning team from China. The Americans finished 0.37 of second ahead of third-place France.

Jack Alexy, who just completed his junior season at Cal, swam in a Saturday heat in the 4x100 medley relay that got the U.S. qualified for the final. He did not swim in the final but still earns a silver medal for his contribution.

The 29-year-old Murphy had won the gold medal in this event in each of the past two Olympics.

He won three medals in this Olympics – a gold in the mixed 4x100 medley relay, a silver in the men’s 4x100 medley relay and a bronze in the 100 backstroke.

He has won nine Olympic medals in his three Summer Games -- five gold (2016 100 backstroke, 2016 200 backstroke, 2016 medley relay, 2020 medley relay, 2024 mixed medley relay), two silver (2020 200 backstroke, 2024 men’s 4x100 medley relay) and two bronze (2020 100 backstroke, 2024 100 backstroke).

Armstrong won two medals in the 2024 Olympics – a gold in the 4x100 freestyle relay and a silver in this men’s 4x100 medley relay.

Alexy also won two Olympic medals – a gold in the 4x100 freestyle and silver in Sunday’s medley relay.

Alex Shackell, USA: Shackell spent her freshman year at Cal before transferring to Texas.  She swam a leg in Saturday’s heat of the women’s 4x100 medley relay to get the U.S. into the final.  The Americans set a world record while finishing first in the final, and although Shackell did not swim in the final, she still earned a gold medal for her part in the heat.

Mary-Ambre Moluh, France: Moluh, who will be a freshman at Cal this year, did not swim in the final of the women’s 4x100 medley relay, but she swam in the Saturday heat that got France into the final.  France finished sixth in the finals.

Water Polo

Kitty Lynn Joustra, Netherlands: Joustra scored a goal on her only attempt to help Netherlands beat Canada 20-11 in its final match of group play on Sunday. The Netherlands advances to the quarterfinals, and will probably meet the United States in Tuesday’s match. Joustra, 26, is a second-time Olympian who played for Cal from 2018 to 2021. 

Kindred Paul and Emma Wright, Canada: Paul and Wright each scored a goal in Canada’s 20-11 loss to Netherlands in group play.  But the Canadians still advanced to the quarterfinals by finishing fourth in its five-team group.  Canada will probably face Spain in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. The 28-year-old Paul is a 2018 Cal graduate participating in her second Olympics, while Wright, 27, played at Cal from 2017 to 2019.

Golf

Collin Morikawa, USA: Cal graduate Morikawa was never in contention for a medal throughout the four-day golf event.  He shot a 1-under-par 70 on Le Golf National course in Paris in the fourth round on Sunday, and his final score of 6-under left him 13 strokes behind gold-medal-winner Scottie Scheffler of the United States and 11 shots behind bronze medalists Hideki Matsuyama of Japan. Morikawa was 3-under on the front nine, but a double bogey on No. 10 stopped his momentum, and he wound up tied for 24th place.

Scheffler shot a blistering 9-under-par 62 on Sunday to finish one shot ahead of Tommy Fleetwood of Great Britain, whose bogey on the 17th hole hurt his chances for a gold medal, relegating him to a silver medal.

Byeong Hun An, South Korea: An finished with the same four-round total as Morikawa at 6-under, tied for 24th place. A triple-bogey on the 17th hole on Sunday led to a 1-over-par  72 in An’s final round.  An played golf at Cal for one year before turning pro.

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