Cal Men Total Four Medals In Tokyo
TOKYO – It was a week of success for eight California men's swimmers – past, present and future – at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. As pool competition concluded Saturday night (PT), the Golden Bears had amassed four medals (two gold, one silver, one bronze) and qualified for four individual finals, six individual semifinals and three relay finals across 11 events.
Ryan Murphy (USA) paved the way with three medals, including gold in the Americans' world-record-setting 4x100-meter medley relay as well as bronze and silver in the 100m and 200m backstroke events, respectively. The haul elevated Murphy's career total to six medals (four gold, one silver, one bronze) and put him in rarefied air as one of three Cal men's swimmers with as many, joining Matt Biondi (11) and Nathan Adrian (9).
Joining Murphy as a medalist in Tokyo was Tom Shields (USA), who earned his second career gold medal as a member of the 4x100m medley relay squad despite not racing in the final. Shields swam the butterfly leg on the U.S. preliminaries qualifier, helping the Americans advance to the final. Shields previously accomplished the same feat at the 2016 Rio Games, swimming on the U.S. 4x100m medley relay during prelims.
Serving as the U.S. Olympic men's swimming head coach, Cal head coach David Durden guided the U.S. men total 12 medals in Tokyo. The Cal men's swimming program's all-time Olympic medals count stands at 50 following Murphy and Shields' four combined medals in Tokyo.
Hugo González (Spain)
- 100m backstroke (finalist, 6th)
- 200m individual medley (semifinalist, 11th)
Robin Hanson (Sweden)
- 100m freestyle (27th)
- 200m freestyle (23rd)
Bryce Mefford (USA)
- 200m backstroke (finalist, 4th)
Ryan Murphy (USA)
- 100m backstroke (Bronze medalist, 3rd)
- 200m backstroke (Silver medalist, 2nd)
- Mixed 4x100m medley relay (finalist, 5th)
- 4x100m medley relay (Gold medalist, 1st, world record)
Zheng Quah (Singapore)
- 100m backstroke (22nd)
- 100m butterfly (34th)
- 200m butterfly (22nd)
Björn Seeliger (Sweden)
- 50m freestyle (23rd)
Andrew Seliskar (USA)
- 4x200m freestyle relay (5th in prelims, 4th in final) *swam prelims only
Tom Shields (USA)
- 100m butterfly (semifinalist, 15th)
- Mixed 4x100m medley relay (2nd in prelims, 5th in final) *swam prelims only
- 4x100m medley relay (7th in prelims, Gold medal in final) *swam prelims only
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