US swimmer Ryan Murphy received a touching surprise following his bronze medal win in the 100-meter backstroke at the Paris Olympics on Monday night. Standing on the pool deck, Ryan Murphy was greeted with a special message from his wife, Bridget Konttinen, who revealed the sex of their unborn child through a heartfelt sign. As Ryan Murphy scanned the stands, he saw Konttinen holding up a sign that read, “Ryan, it’s a girl,” marking the first time he learned the gender of their first child, due in January.
The moment was captured and shared widely on social media, with USA Swimming and Team USA posting a photo of the emotional reveal. The image shows Konttinen proudly displaying the sign amidst a cheering crowd. The Instagram post, which went viral, was captioned, “Step 1: Win an Olympic medal. Step 2: Find out you’re going to be a girl dad.” The post attracted congratulations from across the sports world, including a message from Olympic legend Michael Phelps. Rowdy Gaines, a retired Olympic swimmer and current NBC analyst, also commented, “This is so much bigger than ANY medal. Congrats Murph!!”
Ryan Murphy, 29, has now secured his third consecutive Olympic medal in the 100-meter backstroke, adding to his previous achievements of a gold medal in Rio and a bronze in Tokyo. As the captain of the 2024 USA team, he continues to hold the Olympic record in the event from his 2016 victory. Despite the excitement of winning another Olympic medal, Ryan Murphy expressed that learning about the impending arrival of his daughter made the night even more unforgettable. “I think that just kind of like lit me up,” he said. “And really brought this night to a whole other level.”
Ryan Murphy is scheduled to return to the pool on Wednesday to compete in the 200-meter backstroke event.
