The Paris La Defense Arena became the unlikely scene for a gender-reveal on Monday night.
After claiming bronze in the men’s 100m backstroke, American swimmer Ryan Murphy enjoyed a double surprise after discovering he was expecting a baby girl.
Murphy had barely stepped off the podium when he noticed his wife, Bridget Konttinen, in the stands holding up a sign with the news which read, ‘Ryan, it’s a girl!’
“I was walking back around and Bridget was holding up a sign and it said: ‘Ryan, it’s a girl,’” said Murphy, who finished behind China’s silver medallist Xu Jiayu and Italy’s gold medal winner Thomas Ceccon. “That was the first time I heard the gender.
“We both – we honestly both thought it was going to be a boy,” he said. “And everyone – like everyone – we were talking to, they thought it was going to be a boy.”
Murphy’s bronze in the pool was his third Olympic medal in the distance and the seventh of his career, after winning a trio of gold medals at the Rio Games in 2016, along with a gold, a silver and a bronze in Tokyo.
Ryan said the unexpected gender reveal made his triumph in the pool all the more special. “I think that just kind of lit me up,” he said. “And really brought this night to a whole other level.”
Murphy, who is an avid fan of the Florida-based American football team Jacksonville Jaguars, pointed out that quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his wife also have a daughter on the way. “I hope our daughters can be friends,” he said.
Murphy, who credited his wife for supporting his Paris bid after his triumph, will be back in the pool to swim the men’s 200m backstroke on Wednesday.
“Having her gives me a lot of great balance in my life,” he said. “She’s great for me and helps me keep a level head on things,” he said.
Damn, fuck the medal, that man is gonna have a little girl
Is she trying to upstage him or what? It’s like announcing your engagement at a wedding.
Man… that wife is special for thinking of that way to tell him.
And no, I’m not crying, it’s dusty in here!
Aww that’s adorable
🤮
Way for his wife to take his moment. Not a fan of this. Gestating women always have to have it be about them. He was getting a freaking Olympic medal. Uggg
More like fetus genitalia reveal.
Lots of negative Nancy’s in the comments.
Beautiful
Trolling for attention from his family – lame imo
I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt that she knows him and knows what kind of reveal for him. It’s kind of like marriage proposals – some people like having their personal stuff in the spotlight, others are more private. At least this didn’t cause a forest fire.
I was thinking why did she wrote “Ryan is a girl”…and then I realize I made a mistake lol, anyways congrats!
Thank you for not burning down the Olympics during a gender reveal.
He’s gonna be a great dad
🤍🖤💜💙💛🇺🇸🥇☀️🎉
Ok…now that is a gender reveal.
We sat right in front of them! What a lovely family, so happy for them!
At least she didn’t start a fire at the Olympics.
No wonder that usher was having such a hard time escorting them
At least she didn’t burn down the forest
Here’s me thinking it said ‘Ryan is a girl’ and that he’d be disqualified
Awww that’s seriously sweet… never going forget that for sure
That’s wholesome. He had to be one of the happiest people of all time in that moment
26 comments
***The Telegraph reports:***
The Paris La Defense Arena became the unlikely scene for a gender-reveal on Monday night.
After claiming bronze in the men’s 100m backstroke, American swimmer Ryan Murphy enjoyed a double surprise after discovering he was expecting a baby girl.
Murphy had barely stepped off the podium when he noticed his wife, Bridget Konttinen, in the stands holding up a sign with the news which read, ‘Ryan, it’s a girl!’
“I was walking back around and Bridget was holding up a sign and it said: ‘Ryan, it’s a girl,’” said Murphy, who finished behind China’s silver medallist Xu Jiayu and Italy’s gold medal winner Thomas Ceccon. “That was the first time I heard the gender.
“We both – we honestly both thought it was going to be a boy,” he said. “And everyone – like everyone – we were talking to, they thought it was going to be a boy.”
Murphy’s bronze in the pool was his third Olympic medal in the distance and the seventh of his career, after winning a trio of gold medals at the Rio Games in 2016, along with a gold, a silver and a bronze in Tokyo.
Ryan said the unexpected gender reveal made his triumph in the pool all the more special. “I think that just kind of lit me up,” he said. “And really brought this night to a whole other level.”
Murphy, who is an avid fan of the Florida-based American football team Jacksonville Jaguars, pointed out that quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his wife also have a daughter on the way. “I hope our daughters can be friends,” he said.
Murphy, who credited his wife for supporting his Paris bid after his triumph, will be back in the pool to swim the men’s 200m backstroke on Wednesday.
“Having her gives me a lot of great balance in my life,” he said. “She’s great for me and helps me keep a level head on things,” he said.
**Full story:** [**https://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2024/07/30/us-swimmer-ryan-murphy-gender-reveal-wife-olympic-medal/**](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2024/07/30/us-swimmer-ryan-murphy-gender-reveal-wife-olympic-medal/)
That’s actually pretty damn cool
Aw, she should have made him a pink medal!
Damn, fuck the medal, that man is gonna have a little girl
Is she trying to upstage him or what? It’s like announcing your engagement at a wedding.
Man… that wife is special for thinking of that way to tell him.
And no, I’m not crying, it’s dusty in here!
Aww that’s adorable
🤮
Way for his wife to take his moment. Not a fan of this. Gestating women always have to have it be about them. He was getting a freaking Olympic medal. Uggg
More like fetus genitalia reveal.
Lots of negative Nancy’s in the comments.
Beautiful
Trolling for attention from his family – lame imo
I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt that she knows him and knows what kind of reveal for him. It’s kind of like marriage proposals – some people like having their personal stuff in the spotlight, others are more private. At least this didn’t cause a forest fire.
I was thinking why did she wrote “Ryan is a girl”…and then I realize I made a mistake lol, anyways congrats!
Thank you for not burning down the Olympics during a gender reveal.
He’s gonna be a great dad
🤍🖤💜💙💛🇺🇸🥇☀️🎉
Ok…now that is a gender reveal.
We sat right in front of them! What a lovely family, so happy for them!
At least she didn’t start a fire at the Olympics.
No wonder that usher was having such a hard time escorting them
At least she didn’t burn down the forest
Here’s me thinking it said ‘Ryan is a girl’ and that he’d be disqualified
Awww that’s seriously sweet… never going forget that for sure
That’s wholesome. He had to be one of the happiest people of all time in that moment