Both women were looking to continue the U.S. dominance in the event where they won three straight golds starting with Natalie Coughlin’s 04-08 double in Athens and Beijing, followed by Missy Franklin back in 2012.
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There were loud jeers before the start of the race for Efimova, who has twice been suspended for doping offenses.
News headlines around the world have included “Wife of a Bears” lineman wins a bronze medal today in Rio Olympics’.
She was one of several Russians who successfully argued that having served their suspensions, they should not be punished again for the same offense by being barred from Rio.
The 2012 champion in the event, Matt Grevers, was unable to defend his title after failing to qualify at the USA trials.
Murphy’s winning time of 51.97 seconds was an Olympic record and just outside the world record of 51.94 set by compatriot Aaron Peirsol in 2009 when non-textile bodysuits were allowed.
The bronze medal was shared by Kylie Masse of Canada and China’s Fu Yuanhui who finished in a dead heat.
Then, after the US women’s gymnastics team blew the competition away in the qualifying round, an as-yet-unidentified commentator said the seven women looked like they “might as well be standing in the middle of a mall” as the camera showed them laughing and chatting on the sidelines.
He spoke less than 24 hours after being criticized for calling the coach and husband of Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu “the guy responsible” for a career turnaround that led to her gold medal swim on Saturday. She struggled in the semifinals, though, finishing seventh, and she ended up seventh in the final, too.
Defending Olympic champion, Missy Franklin, did not qualify to defend his gold from the U.S. Trials in June. Following the 2016 Rio Games, where she is slotted to swim two more individual events (the 200m IM and the 200m backstroke) she will retire from the sport.
Lilly King of the United States won gold in an Olympic record of 1:04.93.
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The 27-year-old can become one of the first double gold medallists of this Games when she competes in the 100m backstroke – although Kathleen Baker goes into the final as the fastest qualifier.
