USA Swimming has a legacy in the men’s 100-meter backstroke on the international stage. From 1996 to 2016, the U.S. men won gold in the 100-meter backstroke at every Olympic Games. In 2020, Ryan Murphy was bested by two Russian Olympic Committee swimmers, breaking the long-standing U.S. reign.

Looking towards an exciting U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, presented by Lilly, there are numerous USA Swimming National Team athletes looking to claim their spot on the Olympic Team and bring gold back to the U.S.

For the past three Olympic Trials meets, the men who have made the team clocked less than 53 seconds in finals, showing the depth of the event. In 2020, second place finished with 52.48, a time many up-and-comers are looking to break to earn a chance at representing the United States in Paris.

Longstanding veteran and current world record holder in the event Ryan Murphy will be looking to attend his third Olympic Games in a row. University of California Berkeley teammate and four-time NCAA champion Destin Lasco is eyeing to make his first Olympic team after bringing home a bronze medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. Second place seed Hunter Armstrong, and current world record holder in the 50m backstroke, is looking to make his second Olympic team in the event after placing ninth in Tokyo. 

For more on the competition, visit www.usaswimming.org/Trials.