US swimmer voices concerns about doping in Olympic Games

Swimmer Ryan Murphy alleged Friday that doping remains a problem in the sport.

American backstroke swimmer Ryan Murphy alleged Friday that doping remains a problem in the sport after he lost twice to swimmers on the Russian Olympic Committee. “It is a huge mental drain on me throughout the year to know that I’m swimming in a race that’s probably not clean,” said Murphy. “It frustrates me, but I have to swim the field that’s next to me.” Murphy, who won gold in Rio de Janeiro 2016 in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke, lost to swimmer Evgeny Rylov in the 200-meter and placed third behind Rylov and another swimmer, Kliment Kolesnikov, in the 100-meter backstroke this year. Both are part of the Russian Olympic Committee team. The defeat marked the first time since 1992 that an American hadn't won in the men's backstroke competition.