With 22 swimmers and two coaches traveling to Kazan, Russia, for the upcoming FINA World Championships, the number of Golden Bears who will be on site for the Aug. 2-9 event is large enough to represent a good-sized country.

Of the nearly two dozen Cal affiliates at the meet, 10 swimmers will be members of Team USA, with others suiting up for their home countries around the globe. Cal men's coach David Duren will lead the USA men's team, while women's coach Teri McKeever is an assistant for the U.S. women's staff.

The combination of competitors includes veterans and highly decorated swimmers – such as Nathan Adrian, who has a combined 10 medals at the Olympics and World Championships, and Missy Franklin, owner of 13 gold medals in Olympic and World Championship racing – as well as newcomers to the event who will be trying to put their marks on the world stage for the first time.

One of those making his debut at Worlds will be junior Ryan Murphy. The reigning NCAA and Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year, Murphy has seen his share of international action, including at last summer's Pan Pacific Games in Australia where he earned a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke. He's also medaled at the Pan American Games, the Junior World Championships and the Short-Course World Championships over the course of his career. This will be his first appearance at a swimming event perhaps second only to the Olympics in prestige.

“I think I can compete with the big boys this summer,” said Murphy, who will swim the 200 back for Team USA. “I don't necessarily see that as anything that's going to make me anxious or nervous. I think of that more as a confidence thing, just thinking to myself that, hey, these are the guys I'm going to be racing against. I've got to be with them because that's hopefully, knock on wood, the type of competition I'll have to compete against next summer at Olympic Trials and, hopefully after that, at the Olympics.”

Murphy enters the meet confident in his abilities, particularly after the recent collegiate season when he won the 100- and 200-yard backstroke at the 2015 NCAA Championships, breaking Ryan Lochte's American record in the 200 back. His training has continued at a high level this summer and he's entering Worlds knowing that the meet can set the stage for a run to the Olympics next year in Rio.

“I think the main thing is being able to deal with that type of atmosphere and that type of pressure because Worlds is definitely the biggest meet I'll ever have gone to,” Murphy said. “I think the main thing is learning how to adapt to the situation, take on whatever is thrown at me and learn how to race in that type of competitive field.”

Murphy will also have the benefit of having his college head coach on deck and several of his training partners alongside him on the U.S. team, namely Adrian and fellow Cal alum Anthony Ervin, who will serve as a team captain.

“There are a lot of guys who have similar goals as me,” Murphy said of those who work out with him daily in Berkeley. “We have a bunch of guys in the water who want to be the best and will do just about anything to be the best. It's really helpful in training and when you're able to go to these meets and have a bunch of guys you see every day and are comfortable with.”

While Murphy will have a few Bears surrounding him in Russia, junior Farida Osman will be more out on her own. An Egyptian star from Cairo who holds several of her home country's records and has been viewed as a pioneer for women in her sport in Africa, Osman remained on campus to train for the World Championships. Once overseas, she'll be part of smaller Egyptian squad.

Yet despite her upcoming transition, Osman has set several high goals for herself and can draw from experience when she hits the water. At the most recent world meet in 2013, Osman reached the final of the 50-meter butterfly, placing seventh. She also was the lone female swimmer from Egypt at the 2012 Olympics in London and finished 41st in the 50 freestyle. This summer, she'll swim four events – 50 and 100 free and 50 and 100 fly.

“I'm very excited,” said Osman, who would like to reach the finals in at least two of her events. “This is my first time staying the full summer training with Teri. I've been getting good times this summer. This is the last push. I'm excited to see how I can surprise myself more in my races.

“I thought it was going to be hard not going home,” Osman added. “But with the support from Teri and all of my teammates, I feel like they've made it so much easier. This is the hardest I've worked for a competition, so I'm looking forward to what's going to happen.”

Osman is coming off a season in which she claimed the Pac-12 title in the 50-yard free, anchored both the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay to NCAA titles and helped Cal to the NCAA women's team championship. Several of her Cal teammates from the 2014-15 squad will also be in Russia, although with different countries – Franklin (USA), Rachael Bootsma (USA), Camille Cheng (Hong Kong), Marina Garcia (Spain), Cierra Runge (USA) and Noemie Thomas (Canada).

The World Championships will be televised by both NBC (taped) and Universal Sports (live) – click here for details – while more information, including schedules and results, can be found at kazan2015.com. Updates will be provided on CalBears.com, as well as on Cal swimming social media accounts.

Golden Bears at the FINA World Championships
Nathan Adrian - USA
Martti Aljand - Estonia
Stephanie Au – Hong Kong
Jeremy Bagshaw - Canada
Kathleen Baker – USA
Guy Barnea - Israel
Rachel Bootsma – USA
Lauren Boyle – New Zealand
Camille Cheng – Hong Kong
Damir Dugonjic - Slovenia
Anthony Ervin - USA
Missy Franklin – USA
Marina Garcia – Spain
Yvette Kong - Hong Kong
Martin Liivamagi - Estonia
Katie McLaughlin – USA
Ryan Murphy - USA
Farida Osman – Egypt
Cierra Runge – USA|
Tom Shields - USA
Noemie Thomas – Canada
Abbey Weitzeil – USA
USA Head Men's Coach - David Durden
USA Assistant Women's Coach – Teri McKeever