Ohio State sophomore Hunter Armstrong practices his backstroke during practice before leaving for US Olympic training in Hawaii. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Ohio State junior swimmer Hunter Armstrong broke the 50-meter backstroke world record Thursday in the U.S. International Team Trials with a time of 23.71.
Armstrong etched his name in the record books by 0.09 seconds, breaking Russian swimmer Kliment Kolesnikov’s previous record of 23.80. Following his world record performance, Armstrong told NBCSports that he’s gained confidence through competing with the top-flight swimmers in the world.
“I’m at a loss for words, honestly. It’s something that I’ve always wanted. I’m over the moon right now,” Armstrong said. “I’m so blessed to compete at this meet with the best athletes in the world, and I don’t think I would’ve been able to do that without racing them.”
Earlier in the day, Armstrong shattered the American 50-meter backstroke record during the preliminary round, breaking Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy’s record with a 24.01.
Armstrong earned a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, aiding the U.S. men’s 4X100 relay to the finals where they picked up the top spot. The Dover, Ohio, native attributed his success to the foundation laid within the Ohio State program.
“We have a great culture down at Ohio State and a lot of it is this culture that we’ve built of just friendship and constantly building each other up,” Armstrong said. “I attribute a lot of my success to my teammates, of course, and my coaches.”
