As the Olympic pool readies itself for another legendary showcase, eyes are transfixed on Chicago's own Ryan Murphy, who is poised to carve his name into the annals of swimming history with a potential record-breaking achievement at the Paris Olympics. According to NBC Chicago, Murphy's pursuit of becoming the first male swimmer to win medals in three consecutive Olympics in both the 100m and 200m backstroke events hinges on an all-important swim slated for Monday.

The stakes couldn't be higher for Murphy, who, despite securing his place in the finals with the fifth-best time, has undeniably steeper competition, most notably from China's Jiayu Xu who narrowly missed setting a new world record, the anticipation for Wednesday's 200m backstroke preliminary race is also gradually building, given that Murphy's journey towards asserting his dominance and reclaiming his top spot as America's backstroke titan continues, a conviction encapsulated in his philosophy that he wants to "win every time I touch the water, whether that’s a Monday morning practice or an Olympic finals," he said in an interview obtained by AP News.

Reflecting on his performances at past Olympics, Murphy longs for a triumphant return to gold – a position he hasn't relished since the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 where he dominated the backstroke events and clinched a gold as part of the 4x100 medley relay. Silver and bronze medals from the individual races in Tokyo, although significant, fell short of his own expectations and those storied expectations of American backstroking pedigree, "The world is getting faster,” lamented Matt Grevers, another American backstroke great, acknowledging the rise in competition across the globe; however, such acknowledgments do nothing to douse Murphy's fiery pursuit, with Murphy himself having an impressive haul of six Olympic medals, not to mention 17 from long-coursed world championships.

With the unwavering support of his longtime coach, Cal's Dave Durden, Murphy boasts exceptional starts and turns, his reaction time off the blocks and underwater technique being amongst the best in the world; this partnership, spanning more than a decade has been at the heart of Murphy’s continued excellence in a discipline that demands nothing short of perfection, his commitment to improvement is a testament to his sportsmanship and dedication. "The biggest thing that you want as an athlete is to know that your coach is constantly thinking about how you can improve," Murphy highlighted the importance of this coach-athlete dynamic, according to AP News.