‘It was just super exciting’–Darke County Olympian tells News Center 7 after qualifying for Tokyo

New Madison native Clayton Murphy is heading to his second Olympic Games.

“I knew with like 150 meters to go, I had a pretty good shot at getting on the team,” Murphy told News Center 7′s Molly Koweek.

He didn’t just make it on the team. He won the final for the 800 meter race with a time of 1:43.17.

“To come across the line and just to have that relief, that excitement, that moment, and to be able to share it with my entire team that was there, from wife, to family, to coach, to therapist, everybody that was there, it was just a special moment to be able to share it with everybody,” Murphy told News Center 7′s Molly Koweek.

He now has six weeks to get ready for the competition in Tokyo.

Murphy said he will spend that time monitoring a hamstring issue, competing in Europe, and focusing on his training.

“It’s not enough time to really make huge jumps in your training, but it’s enough to make huge steps backward,” Murphy said.

This will be his second trip to the Olympics. In 2016 he won a bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro.

>> PHOTOS: Clayton Murphy wins bronze in Rio

“The goal for Tokyo is to really put myself in a position to bring home another medal. I really think that my training and progression has gone well and I have time to continue that progression upwards,” Murphy said.

He spent time after his win responding to congratulatory messages.

“From Darke County, to Cleveland, to when I lived in Portland for three years, to friends across the world, the support has been amazing,” Murphy said.

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