Olympic swimmer Ryan Murphy's pregnant wife surprises him with gender reveal after he wins bronze medal

Ryan Murphy's wife, Bridget Konttinen, surprised him with the gender of the first baby they're expecting after he won bronze in the 100m backstroke
UPDATED JUL 30, 2024
Ryan Murphy and his wife Bridget Konttinen Murphy are expecting their first child (Getty Images)
Ryan Murphy and his wife Bridget Konttinen Murphy are expecting their first child (Getty Images)

NANTERRE, FRANCE: Team USA's Ryan Murphy, 29, secured a bronze medal in the men's 100-meter backstroke race at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Monday, July 29, but his pregnant wife had an even bigger surprise prepared for him.

As the crowd celebrated his Olympic achievement, Bridget Konttinen Murphy, held up a handwritten sign, revealing the gender of their first child. 

PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 29: Bronze Medalist Ryan Murphy of United States poses with his medal after the Medal Ceremony for the Men's 100m Backstroke Final on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at the Paris La Defense Arena on July 29, 2024 in Paris, France.
Team USA's Ryan Murphy won the bronze medal in the men's 100m backstroke on Day Three of the Paris Olympic Games (Getty Images)

Ryan Murphy's Paris Olympic triumph included a memorable gender reveal

The Chicago native, who previously earned three medals in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and three in Tokyo in 2021, edged out Apostolos Christou of Greece by just .02 seconds to secure third place in the 100-meter backstroke.

As the swimmer completed his victory lap, Bridget held up a sign that read, "Ryan, it's a girl!"



 

The swimming community was in awe and quickly showered the couple with congratulations. NBC commentator and three-time gold medalist Rowdy Gaines highlighted the significance of the moment on social media, posting on X (formerly Twitter), "This is so much bigger than ANY medal. Congrats Murph!!"

Ryan was later spotted sharing a kiss with his wife in the stands. Their baby girl is due in January.

NANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 29: Ryan Murphy of United States (L) celebrates his bronze medal with his family during the Men's 100m Backstroke Medals ceremony on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 29, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Jari Pestelacci/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Ryan Murphy and Bridget Konttinen Murphy shared a kiss after she surprised him with a gender reveal at the 2024 Summer Olympics (Jari Pestelacci/Getty Images)

Ryan Murphy credits his wife for keeping him level-headed during high-stakes events

Currently, Ryan Murphy is attempting to achieve a historic feat: becoming the first male swimmer to medal in both the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke in three consecutive Olympics.

The Olympian credits his wife, Bridget, who he tied the knot with on September 30, 2023, for providing essential balance in his life during such high-stakes competitions.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 19: Bridget Konttinen (L) and competitive swimmer Ryan Murphy attend the 2018 Golden Goggle Awards on November 19, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Ryan Murphy and Bridget Konttinen Murphy got married in September 2023 after seven years of dating (Getty Images)

"When you have to analyze swimming things at such a granular level and really be a perfectionist, it's easy to turn that perfectionism in on yourself," said Ryan in June. 

He added, "Having Bridget gives me a lot of great balance in my life. She's someone who could say, 'Hey, Ryan, you're going a little bit too hard at this, like, you can be a little bit softer on yourself today.' She's great for me and helps me keep a level head on things," as per Olympics.com.

Ryan will return to the La Defense Arena on Wednesday to compete in the 200-meter backstroke race.

Internet gushes over Ryan Murphy and Bridget Konttinen Murphy

The excitement surrounding Ryan Murphy's bronze medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics was doubled by the surprise gender reveal, leading fans to shower him with love and congratulations. 

One wrote, "You guys win the internet today!! That's the best ~ Congratulations girl dad!!" and another said, "A totally agree! His soon-to-be newborn is his gold medal !"

"Girl dads for the win!" gushed a person, with someone else saying, "Damn fine swim Ryan. Congrats on both." 

"Eppppppiiiiiiiicccc," simply wrote an individual. "Congratulations to Ryan! I am sure he is much more happier about him having a girl than his bronze tonight," expressed a follower. 



 



 



 



 



 



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

MORE STORIES

The post Khloe Kardashian liked featured Charlie Kirk speaking with a fan at an event about his devout Christian faith
Sep 13, 2025
Whitney Cummings sparked widespread outrage after posting a controversial tweet about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk
Sep 13, 2025
Prince Harry was spotted entering King Charles’s London residence, months after saying his father had ignored his calls
Sep 11, 2025
Rosie O'Donnell said Ellen DeGeneres’ friendship denial hurt so much she printed T-shirts for her staff reading, 'I don’t know Rosie, we’re not friends'
Sep 10, 2025
A post alleged that Karoline Leavitt called Patti LaBelle 'just a singer,' leading LaBelle to deliver a seven-word response that froze the studio
Sep 10, 2025
Jennifer Lopez feels free channeling emotions into music, but Ben Affleck is embarrassed and sees it as crossing a line, according to the source
Sep 9, 2025
Howard Stern added that he missed last week’s show due to illness, not contract talks, and addressed rumors of being fired from his own show
Sep 9, 2025
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement in August 2025 triggered a wave of pregnancy chatter after an ultrasound photo went viral
Sep 9, 2025
Ed Sheeran, 34, revealed that he was leaving Suffolk with his wife Cherry Seaborn and their two daughters, Lyra and Jupiter
Sep 9, 2025
From Ice Spice’s chaotic corset to Paris Hilton’s flame dress, see the celebs who landed on the worst-dressed list at the 2025 VMAs
Sep 8, 2025