COLUMBUS, Ohio — Hunter Armstrong, a rising junior on the Ohio State University men's swimming team and a Dover High School graduate, has a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics as part of the USA Men's Swim Team. He's the first Ohio State male swimmer to make the U.S. Olympic swimming team in 65 years.
Armstrong made the team in the 100 backstroke with a personal best of 52.48 in the final to finish second to 2016 100 and 200 backstroke gold medalist and world-record holder Ryan Murphy, who won in 52.33. He was recognized and introduced with the team Sunday during the final swims of the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb.
“We are so incredibly thrilled for Hunter and the opportunity he now has to represent the United States at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” Bill Dorenkott, Ohio State director of swimming and diving said. “He is swimming extremely well and is within striking distance of the world record (51.97 set by Murphy in 2016). I think he will have some terrific Olympic Games swims.”
Armstrong was a force for Ohio State at the 2021 Big Ten Championships where he finished third, according to the Ohio State University Athletics.
He scored in seven events at Big Tens, including taking second in the 100 backstroke, third in the 100 free and fourth in the 50 free.
A graduate of Dover High School, he attended and swam at West Virginia as a freshman before transferring to OSU for the start of the 2020-21 season.
The Tokyo Olympics begin Friday, July 23 with the opening ceremony at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium. Olympics swimming runs July 24 through Aug. 1.
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