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Ryan Murphy’s Latest Olympic Win Topped Only By Finding Out He’s Having a Baby Girl
After Olympic swimmer Ryan Murphy won a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke in Paris, his wife Bridget took the opportunity to make a huge announcement.
Team USA swimmer Ryan Murphy experienced a double celebration at the Paris 2024 Olympics. After winning a bronze medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke on Monday, July 30, he discovered that he and his wife Bridget Konttinen are expecting a baby daughter. Konttinen shared the news by holding up a sign that read, “Ryan it’s a girl!” as Murphy walked to the podium.
Murphy, 29, now has seven career Olympic medals, including four golds. He made his Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games, where he burst onto the scene with three gold medals, including one in the 4x100 medley relay, which he won alongside Michael Phelps. He duplicated that feat at the 2020 Tokyo Games, this time with Caeleb Dressel as a teammate.
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"I was walking back around and Bridget was holding up a sign and it said — 'Ryan, it's a girl,'" he said, according to CBS News, noting it was the first time he learned of his baby's sex.
Upon receiving his bronze medal, Murphy spoke of how remarkable the evening was for him.
“That’s a great way to find out,” he said, according to NBC News. “That really lit me up and brought this night to a whole other level. It’s really exciting to learn that I’m going to be a girl dad.”
USA Swimming and Team USA posted on Instagram about the moment, with the caption: "Step 1: Win an Olympic medal. Step 2: Find out you're going to be a girl dad."
Phelps, the the Olympic legend himself, was among those who slipped into the comments to offer congratulations. And NBC Sports swimming broadcaster Rowdy Gaines separately tweeted, "This is so much bigger than ANY medal. Congrats Murph!"
What's Ryan Murphy's Relationship History with his Wife Bridget Konttinen
Murphy and Konttinen began seeing each other in 2016, according to Instagram posts from the time. They both attended the University of California, Berkeley, where Konttinen rowed crew, according to an athlete's profile on the school's site.
The couple got engaged in May 2022, according to an Instagram post from Murphy, and they tied the knot last September. Now they're eagerly awaiting their daughter's arrival in January. The couple, filled with excitement and joy, looks forward to welcoming their first child just a few months after celebrating their first wedding anniversary.
“My life is going to change, and I’m really excited for that,” he stated. “It definitely does put things into perspective. I think up to this point, swimming has been the most important thing in my life. Every major decision I make is with swimming in mind, and that’s going to change coming up.”
How Has Ryan Murphy Performed at the Olympics?
Murphy is a three-time Olympian and boasts seven career medals. At the 2016 Rio Games, he won three golds – the 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, and 4x100m medley relay. His backstroke time during the relay set a new world record for the 100m backstroke, though it's since been eclipsed.
At the 2020 Tokyo Games, he won a gold in the 4x100m medley relay (with the team posting a world record), a silver in the 200m backstroke, and a bronze in the 100m backstroke. Now's he's added another bronze in the 100m backstroke at the 2024 Paris Games.
