Ryan Murphy Still Concerned About Doping in Swimming

Former Cal standout Murphy does not want to make headlines with his comments in these Olympics like he did three years ago

Ryan Murphy /

Former Cal swimmer Ryan Murphy remains concerned about doping in his sport, and because of his statements at the 2020 Olympics and some recent news regarding Chinese swimmers, he’s apt to be asked about it at these Olympics.

He hopes to win gold medals in both backstroke events in Paris, as he did in 2016, and he said last month that he will continue to speak out about doping. However, Murphy, who turned 29 earlier this month, suggests he’ll be more careful with the words he chooses in public and instead will work behind the scenes.He does not want to be “the face of this in the media” as he was three years ago.

Murphy did not win an individual gold medal in the 2020 Olympics, but he received worldwide headlines anyway because of what he said after finishing second in the 200-meter backstroke on July 30, 2021.

"I've got 15 thoughts, 13 of them would get me into a lot of trouble," said Murphy three years ago. "It is what it is. I try not to get caught up in that. It is a huge mental drain on me to go throughout the year, that I am swimming in a race that's probably not clean and that is what it is.

"The people that know a lot more about the situation made the decision they did. It frustrates me, but I have to swim the field that’s next to me. I don’t have the bandwidth to train for the Olympics at a very high level and try to lobby the people who are making the decisions, that they’re making the wrong decisions.”

It was suspected at the time that Murphy was referring to Evgeny Rylov of the Russian Olympic Committee, who had won the gold medal in the 200 backstroke. The Russian contingent responded with an aggressive denial on its twitter page.

Murphy later said he was not referring to any athlete or any country specifically and was “disappointed” it was taken that way.

The issue of doping in swimming arose again when the New York Times reported in April 2024 that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned before the 2020 Olympics (held in 2021) but were allowed to compete anyway because it was determined the swimmers had ingested food that they did not know had the banned substance in it.

So Murphy was asked last month, before heading to Paris, whether he had a response to the report on the Chinese swimmers.

“Yeah, I’m very concerned about the state of doping around the world,” he said, “and it’s something I’m putting some effort into behind the scenes.  I’ve talked t the U.S. government, and I’ve talked with people who are high up at World Aquatics. I talked to people who are high up at U.S. Anti-Doping. And I’m learning everything I can, expressing my thoughts on where we could have some reforms, but I’d prefer to continue that work behind the scenes rather than be the face of this in the media.”

Will he be as outspoken in this Olympics as he was three years ago?

“Yeah, I think I’m outspoken in that I’m really concerned. And I’m really outspoken in that I think reforms need to be made, but at the same time I feel that the best way to influence change is to talk to people in the U.S. government that can impact that change.”

So if someone in the media asked Murphy about doping after an Olympic event this year, what would he say?

“I’d tell them the same thing I just told you. Very concerned about the state of doping around the world, and I think that changes need to be made, and I’m talking to the parties I think have the best shot of influencing that change.”

The issue of doping in swimming hovers over these Olympics.

Murphy better have his answers ready because if he wins the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke on Monday or in the 200-meter backstroke on Wednesday, the media questions about doping in swimming will be coming.

---(Click here for a story on how Ryan Murphy is different from the 21-year-old he was at his first Olympics in 2016)---

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