Ryan Murphy extends backstroke streak at U.S. swimming trials

U.S. backstroke king Ryan Murphy was challenged, but not conquered at the world championships trials.

Murphy, a four-time Olympic champion, beat emerging rival Shaine Casas by .45 of a second as the two men clocked the world’s two best 200m back times this year. Murphy’s last loss to an American in a backstroke was in 2019. He has won every 200m back at trials meets dating to 2015.

“I’m seeing all these young kids coming up, so I think back to my first world trials in 2013 and how intimidated I was,” the 26-year-old Murphy said. “You never want to take it for granted trying to make these teams.”

U.S. SWIMMING TRIALS: Results | Broadcast Schedule

Murphy, after sweeping the Olympic backstroke titles in 2016, took silver and bronze last year behind Russians who won’t be at June’s worlds in Budapest due to the nation’s ban.

“The field is going to be competitive, no matter what,” at worlds, he said.

Casas, 22, made his first long-course world team. He continued a stretch of fulfilling promise after missing the Olympic team by one spot.

After his biggest swimming failure, he became the first U.S. male swimmer to turn pro during an NCAA career since fellow backstroke star Aaron Peirsol in 2004. He won individual gold and silver at December’s world short course championships, a meet lacking many global stars.

He entered trials ranked No. 1 or 2 in the nation this year in five different events across three strokes and the individual medley, meaning he could just be starting to make a splash in Greensboro, N.C.

In other events, Katie Ledecky won her shortest race, the 200m freestyle, after taking the 800m free on Tuesday. Claire Weinstein, 15, was second, 1.93 seconds back, and will become the youngest U.S. swimmer to race