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Ryan Murphy Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Murphy, Abbey Weitzeil Win Swimming Relay Gold Medals

Originally posted on Cal Bears on SI | By Jake Curtis | Last updated Aug 3, 2024 4:37 PM ET

Former Cal swimmer Ryan Murphy finally got a gold medal in the 2024 Olympics as he swam the leadoff backstroke leg for the United States, which won the mixed 4x100 medley relay final by a fraction of a second over China on Saturday

It is the fifth Olympic gold medal for the 29-year-old Murphy, with two of those coming in relay races in the previous two Olympics. He finished third to earn a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke earlier in these Olympics but failed to qualify for the final in the 200 backstroke.

Murphy’s now has seven Olympic medals – five gold (2016 medley relay, 2020 medley relay, 2024 mixed medley relay, 2016 100 backstroke, 2016 200 backstroke), one silver (2020 200 backstroke) and two bronze (2020 100 backstroke, 2024 100 backstroke)

Cal graduate Abbey Weitzell did not participate in the mixed 4x100 medley relay final, but she swam a leg in the qualifying heat on Friday, so she will earn a gold medal as well. She got a silver medal for swimming a heat in the women’s 4x100 freestyle relay even though she did swim in the final of that event either.

However, the suspense came in Saturday’s final, and Murphy gave the U.S. foursome a short lead with a time of 52.08 seconds, just 0.05 of a second ahead of China. Nic Fink swam the second breaststroke leg for the U.S. and Gretchen Walsh swam the butterfly leg. The U.S. held a lead of four-one-hundredths of second when Torri Huske began the anchor freestyle leg.

Huske held on for a total time of 3:37.43, just 0.12 of a second ahead of China. Australia finished third for the bronze, a little more than a second behind China.

Hunter Armstrong and Jack Alexy, USA: Armstrong swam the opening backstroke leg and Alexy swam the anchor freestyle leg in a heat of the men’s 4x100 medley relay. The Americans placed first in their heat in a time 3:31.62, which was the second-fastest time overall. That enabled the U.S. to easily advance to Saturday’s final of that event. Alexy recently completed his junior year at Cal, while Armstrong was member of the postgraduate training program at Cal. Alexy won a gold medal earlier in these Olympics as a member of the USA 4x100 freestyle relay.

Hugo Gonzalez, Spain: Gonzalez swam the opening leg for Spain in the 4x100 medley relay heat, but the Spanish team was disqualified and did not advance to the finals. Gonzalez was a 2022 graduate of Cal and swam for Cal in 2023 as well. He had placed sixth in both the 100 and 200 backstroke events earlier in these Olympics.

Alex Shackell, USA: Shackell, who spent her freshman year at Cal before transferring to Texas, swam the butterfly leg on the women’s 4x100 medley relay team that placed second in its heat and had the fourth-fastest time overall to advance to the final of that event.

Mary-Ambre Moluh, France: Molou swam the anchor freestyle leg for the French team that finished third in its heat of the women’s 4x100 medley relay and had the seventh-fastest time overall. That allowed France to advance to the final.

Stephanie Au, Hong Kong: Au swam a leg on the women’s 4x100 medley relay heat for Hong Kong, which finished seventh in its heat and 13th overall. Hong Kong did not advance to the final. The 32-year-old Au is a 2014 graduate of Cal competing in her fifth Olympics.

This article first appeared on Cal Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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