{"id":436583,"date":"2020-06-23T07:54:50","date_gmt":"2020-06-23T14:54:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=436583"},"modified":"2020-06-23T18:03:51","modified_gmt":"2020-06-24T01:03:51","slug":"2016-trials-throwback-ryan-murphy-starts-gold-medal-march-david-plummer-fulfills-dream-in-100-backstroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/2016-trials-throwback-ryan-murphy-starts-gold-medal-march-david-plummer-fulfills-dream-in-100-backstroke\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 Trials Throwback: Ryan Murphy Starts Gold-Medal March; David Plummer Fulfills Dream in 100 Backstroke"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each day during the pre-scheduled days of the 2020 US Olympic Trials, Swimming World will take its readers back four years to the 2016 Trials in Omaha to recap each event, and will offer some insight into what the events will look like in 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n

The last time the United States failed to win the gold medal in an Olympic men\u2019s backstroke race was 1992. Successive generations of Americans \u2013 Aaron Peirsol, Ryan Lochte, Lenny Krayzelburg<\/strong> \u2013 have redefined excellence in the stroke. Save for a one-week, tech-suit-aided interlude by Spain\u2019s Aschwin Wildeboer,<\/strong> the world record has belonged to Americans unchallenged since 1988.<\/p>\n

The heir apparent to that line of backstrokers, Ryan Murphy,<\/strong> was an infant when the American backstroke hegemony started with Krayzelburg\u2019s double in Sydney. At age 20, Murphy was the youngest of the elite class of backstrokers arriving in Omaha for the 2016 Trials in the 100 backstroke. Even though the last two gold medalists in the 200 back \u2013 Tyler Clary<\/strong> in 2012 and Lochte in 2008 \u2013 steered clear of the 100 at the 2016 Trials, there were plenty of medals jangling ahead of Murphy.<\/p>\n

The top seed belonged to 30-year-old David Plummer,<\/strong> seeking his first Olympics berth after falling 12 hundredths of a second short of London. The seemingly ageless Matt Grevers<\/strong> was second, toting a silver medal from Beijing and gold from London in the 100 back. Those two and Murphy were clustered within six hundredths of a second on the psych sheet, with Jacob Pebley<\/strong> a second back. It shaped up as an intriguing field.<\/p>\n

The Race<\/h4>\n
\"ryan-murphy-\"

Ryan Murphy at 2016 Trials Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

The top four seeds advanced from prelims<\/a> without consternation, Plummer setting the pace at 53.22. He again led the way in the semifinals<\/a>, clocking in at 52.12, with Murphy at 52.28 and Grevers at 52.64. Out in the distance hung Peirsol\u2019s world record (51.94) from the World Championship trials in 2009.<\/p>\n

The 2016 Trials final was a three-man race<\/a>. Only .18 separated Plummer, Grevers and Murphy at the 50-meter wall. Murphy and Plummer went stroke for stroke down the final 20 meters, opening up a sliver of space on Grevers. The final result had Murphy first to the wall<\/a> in 52.26, Plummer second with his long-awaited Olympics berth<\/a> in 52.28. A disappointed Grevers settled for third in 52.76, and Pebley, in a preview of his stronger 200 back later at the 2016 Trials, was fourth in 52.95. No one else broke 54.<\/p>\n

Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Ryan Murphy 52.26<\/li>\n
  2. David Plummer 52.28<\/li>\n
  3. Matt Grevers 52.76<\/li>\n
  4. Jacob Pebley 52.95<\/li>\n
  5. Michael Taylor 54.04<\/li>\n
  6. John Shebat 54.20<\/li>\n
  7. Sean Lehane 54.72<\/li>\n
  8. Jake Taylor 54.72<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n