Dover High School grad and current Ohio State swimmer Hunter Armstrong turned some heads last night by winning the second heat of the 100m Backstroke. He surged late to beat out a few of the favorites to win with a personal best time of 52.67. That puts him as the second seed in tonight's final with defending Gold medalist and 3-time Olympic champion Ryan Murphy, who won the other Semi with a time of 52.22.
“It’s so nice. It’s unbelievable. I didn’t expect it,” Armstrong said. “I’ve always struggled with takeout speed, and the guys next to me, that’s their strong suit. I trusted my coaches and trusted God. I was able to take it out with them and bring it back with everything I have. It’s an honor. I’ve really looked up to Ryan Murphy and Shaine Casas. They’re amazing athletes, and I’m really proud to be able to compete with them on an elite level.”
The Top 8 will swim again tonight in the finals to determine who goes to Tokyo to represent Team USA. Coverage begins at 8PM Eastern.
Huge development tonight at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. Hunter Armstrong qualified second overall out of the semifinals in the 100 backstroke and he'll race in the finals Tuesday evening for an Olympic team berth at 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/xrTtEjUKeE
— Ohio State Swim/Dive (@OhioStSwimDive) June 15, 2021
If you want to follow the other 11 Buckeye Swimmers, you can find results here
