For the first time in more than six decades, an Ohio State swimmer has made it to the Olympics.
Hunter Armstrong is headed to Tokyo to compete as a member of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team. The Dover, Ohio, athlete is a rising junior at Ohio State University, where he’s a member of the men’s swimming team. He was recognized and introduced with the team during the final swims of U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, on Sunday night (June 20), according to an Ohio State University press release.
The release reads:
“Armstrong made the team in the 100 backstroke with a terrific personal-best swim of 52.48 in the finals Tuesday evening to finish second to 2016 100 and 200 backstroke gold medalist and world-record holder Ryan Murphy, who won in 52.33. Armstrong qualified second for the finals the day prior with a personal best of 52.67 that lasted for all of 24 hours.”
Armstrong is the first male swimmer from Ohio State to make the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team in 65 years.
“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 in the release. “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.”