Paris 2024: US swimmer Ryan Murphy aims to reclaim top spot on medal podium

Ryan Murphy longs to reclaim the top spot on the medal podium at the Paris Olympics.

America's backstroke star was relegated to silver and bronze in his individual races at Tokyo a performance that still irks him just a bit.

There's definitely no shortage of motivation from my end, said Murphy, who will be competing in the men's 100 and 200-meter back for the third Olympics in row. I feel like I've always got a fire under my butt."

The 29-year-old Floridian, who trains at Cal-Berkeley, has been a worthy successor to the long run of backstroke success in the U.S.

Picking up the baton from giants such as John Nabor, Rick Carey, Lenny Krayzelburg, Aaron Peirsol and Matt Grevers, Murphy has left his own impressive mark.

At the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, he swept the men's backstroke events and added a third gold as part of the 4x100 medley relay.

He followed up at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games with a runner-up finish in the 200 and a third-place showing in the 100, to go al