LOS ANGELES: Ryan Murphy clocked the fastest time in the world this year to win the 200m backstroke at the US Olympic swimming trials on Thursday and set himself up for a 100m-200m backstroke double at the Paris Olympics.

Murphy, 28, fended off a furious late challenge from 19-year-old Keaton Jones, winning in 1min 54.33sec as Jones clocked 1:54.61 to deny Jack Aikens, who was also squeezed out of the top two in the 100m back won by Murphy.

Regan Smith and Kate Douglass will also be doubling up in Paris after posting their second wins of the week at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.

Murphy, who won double backstroke gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 but settled for silver and bronze in Tokyo, became the first man to sweep the 100m and 200m backstrokes at three straight US Olympic trials.

It’s a remarkable trials first in a country whose swimming history includes backstroke greats Lenny Krayzelburg and Aaron Peirsol.

Smith, fresh off a world record in the 100m backstroke final on Tuesday, expanded her Paris programme with a victory in the 200m butterfly in 2min 05.70sec.

Second at the final turn behind Alex Shackell, Smith dug deep to slip past the 17-year-old, who booked her first trip to the Olympics with a runner-up finish in 2:06.69.

Shackell’s first Olympics will be a family affair. Her 19-year-old brother Aaron won the 400m free on Saturday to punch his Olympic ticket. Their father, Nick Shackell, swam for Great Britain at the 1996 Olympics.

Douglass set a trials record of 2:19.46 to win the 200m breaststroke, leading wire to wire to capture another victory a day after her 100m freestyle triumph, but second place finisher Lilly King got the ring when her boyfriend proposed on the pool deck immediately after the race.

If King, who had already qualified for Paris with her win in the 100m breaststroke, was feeling any disappointment in her performance it was quickly washed away when boyfriend James Wells met her on the deck, got down on one knee and popped the question.

“Oh my god, yes, yes,” beamed King. “Oh gosh I am so excited.”

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2024