swimming

Ryan Murphy, Lilly King, Annie Lazor Medal for US Swimming

Murphy and King won silver medals, while Lazor took home a bronze

The U.S. swim team had a three-medal performance as four events were decided on Thursday night.

Reigning Olympic champion Ryan Murphy won silver in the men's 200m backstroke. In the women's 200m breaststroke, Lilly King and Annie Lazor claimed silver and bronze respectively.

Team USA failed to reach the podium in the two other finals -- the women's 100m freestyle and the men's 200m individual medley.

Here's a full look back at the action from the Tokyo Aquatics Center:

Reigning champ Murphy takes silver in 200m backstroke

Evgeny Rylov of the Russian Olympic Committee got the best of Murphy again in a backstroke final, this time in the 200m. Rylov prevented Murphy from repeating as Olympic champ with a time of 1:53.27, just ahead of Murphy (1:54.15).

Luke Greenbank of Great Britain (1:54.72) claimed bronze. American Bryce Mefford (1:55.49) finished fourth.

Rylov and Murphy went head-to-head earlier in the Tokyo Olympics in the 100m backstroke final. In that race, Rylov beat Murphy to take the gold medal, which Murphy had won at the 2016 Rio Games. Murphy, who got the bronze, also was beaten by Rylov’s ROC teammate, Kliment Koleskinov.

King, Lazor finish 2-3 in 200m breaststroke

South African Tatjana Schoenmaker set the first individual swimming world record of the Tokyo Olympics in the 200m breaststroke final with a time of 2:18.95, beating King (2:19.92) for gold.

Lazor, who finished in 2:20.84, just barely edged out the ROC's Evgenia Chikunova (2:20.88) for the final spot on the podium.

Lazor and King, training partners and friends outside of Olympic swimming, held their arms around each other after winning their medals.

Lazor said her friend King “deserves this so much” after the race.

Michael Andrew places fifth in 200m IM

Michael Andrew lost his lead in the final lap of the 200m individual medley and wound up finishing outside of a medal position in fifth (1:57.31). Wang Shun of China won gold with a time of 1:55.00.

This marks the first time a different swimmer than Michael Phelps has won the event since the 2000 Sydney Games.

British swimmer Duncan Scott (1:55.28) took silver while Jérémy Desplanches (1:56.17) of Switzerland brought home the bronze medal.

The gold for Shun is China’s third swimming gold medal of the Games.

Abbey Weitzeil finishes 100m freestyle eighth

Australia's Emma McKeon, who had beaten the Olympic record in the 100m freestyle preliminary heats on Wednesday with a time of 52.13, set a new record by finishing the final in 51.96.

Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong (52.27) won silver and Cate Campbell of Australia (52.52) won bronze.

American Abbey Weitzeil finished eighth.

Dressel's Olympic record highlights two semifinals

Caeleb Dressel set an Olympic record for a second consecutive night by finishing the 100m butterfly semifinal in 49.71.

On Wednesday, Dressel set an Olympic record to win the 100m freestyle, securing his first individual Olympic medal.

Fellow American Tom Shields failed to qualify for the 100m butterfly final.

In the other semifinal event, the women's 200m backstroke, Team USA members Phoebe Bacon and Rhyan White posted the second and third best time respectively to advance to the final. Both swimmers will be vying for their first Olympic medal.

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