FILE PHOTO: Jul 27, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; Ryan Murphy (USA) before the men’s 100m backstroke final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
July 30, 2021
TOKYO (Reuters) – United States swimmer Ryan Murphy said Friday’s 200m backstroke final was “probably not clean” after he lost his Olympic title to Russian Evgeny Rylov.
Murphy won gold in the 100 and 200 Rio finals but Rylov won both titles in Tokyo.
“I’ve got 15 thoughts, 13 of them would get me into a lot of trouble,” said Murphy when asked by a reporter if he had any concerns about his races in relation to doping.
“It is what it is. I try not to get caught up in that. It is a huge mental drain on me to go throughout the year, that I am swimming in a race that’s probably not clean and that is what it is. “
When asked about Murphy’s comments Rylov said: “I don’t understand this suggestion. I was concentrating on the result.”
A Russian team spokesperson declined to comment on Murphy’s remarks.
USA Swimming had no immediate comment.
(Reporting by Simon Evans, Additional reporting by Martin Petty, Aaron Sheldrick and Farah Master in Hong Kong and Alan Baldwin in London,)
