2023 Golden Goggle Awards
- November 19, 2023
- Los Angeles, California
- Digital Program
- 2023 Nominees
- SwimSwam Official Ballot
Ryan Murphy secured his second ever Male Athlete of the Year award tonight, as he also won it five years ago in 2018. Bobby Finke, Carson Foster, and Jack Alexy were the other three finalists for the award.
Murphy qualified for the World Championships via a 2nd place finish at the U.S. Trials in the 100 backstroke (52.39) and a 1st place finish in the 200 (1:55.03).
Murphy was the only male swimmer to secure an individual gold for Team USA in Fukuoka in an Olympic event, clocking a time of 52.22 to take the 100 back win. Murphy added 3 additional medals at the meet with a gold in the men’s medley relay, a silver in the 200 backstroke, and a bronze in the mixed medley relay.
He won the award over the other World Championship individual medalist for the men, also a backstroker, Hunter Armstrong, who won the no-Olympic 50 meter event.
Murphy also stepped up on the relays for Team USA this past summer, posting a time of 52.02 on the lead-off leg of the mixed medley relay and a 52.04 split on the men’s medley relay. Both swims were faster than his winning time in the individual event earlier in the meet.
Murphy’s coach, Dave Durden, was named the U.S. coach of the year earlier in the evening.
Murphy in 2023:
- 100m Backstroke – 52.02
- 200m Backstroke – 1:54.83
It really should’ve been Finke
Mickey Mouse award
When I first saw this, I was like “no way, he managed to lose the 200 back when he was clearly the favourite”, but then when you think about his other performances, they were all pretty great.
Yeah, and it’s also in context of ‘who were the other choices?’
Because this is USA Swimming, it was going to a World Champion. It was him winning the 100 or Hunter Armstrong winning the 50. Again, because USA Swimming chooses the awards, they were going to choose the Olympic event over the non-Olympic event.
It could have been Finke… no golds, but his times in the 800 and 1500 were the best from the US men (relatively). But still, no golds, so Murphy makes sense.
Yeah it totally could have been. But…that’s just not how this award has ever worked.
His absolute dependability, his work ethic, and his ability to inspire team members are just outstanding. And the results from Fukuoka speak for themselves. I liked the other finalists, too, esp. Finke, but Murphy is truly GOLD.
Boss!