2024 U.S. Olympic Trials: Armstrong Battles Back From a Poor Start to Safely Make the Semis

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE — SEMI-FINALS

  • World Record: 51.60 — Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 2022
  • American Record: 51.85 — Ryan Murphy, 2016
  • U.S. Open Record: 51.94 — Aaron Peirsol (USA), 2009
  • World Junior Record: 52.53 — Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2018
  • 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion: Ryan Murphy, 52.33
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 53.74

Final Qualifiers:

  1. Ryan Murphy (CAL), 52.65
  2. Adam Chaney (FLOR), 53.08
  3. Jack Aikins (SA), 53.23
  4. Hunter Armstrong (NYAC), 53.57
  5. Tommy Janton (ND), 53.61
  6. Jack Wilkening (MICH), 53.70
  7. Will Modglin (ZSC), 53.83
  8. Justin Ress (MVN), 53.78

In season, 53.57 would be an acceptable time for Hunter Armstrong. He was 55.58 at the Pro Swim Series – San Antonio meet, so two seconds faster would actually be a marked improvement. Except this isn’t in season, and this isn’t the time to be content with okay, and this is also the worst time to deal with a bad start.

Armstrong, the top seed from this morning’s prelims in the men’s 100 back, entered the 2nd semifinal as the favorite and, in his best event, a strong contender to book his ticket to Paris, but right from the get-go, Armstrong was behind.

Armstrong visibly slipped on the start and was behind by close to a body length when everyone reemerged from their start. Armstrong was last at the 50 turn, splitting 26.37. But as every experienced veteran does, Armstrong dug deep and recovered over the last 50, propelling himself through the field, passing swimmers left and right to touch 2nd in his heat in 53.57 and qualify safely through in 4th place.

Speaking after the race, Armstrong said, “I didn’t know I was 8th at the 50s. Truly, it’s all God’s plan. I just put my faith in him and let it happen the way”.

If we look at the splits, we can see how Armstrong made up the ground he lost at the start.

2024 Trials Semis Season Best Personal Best
50 26.37 25.61 25.44
100 27.20 (53.57) 27.07 (52.68) 26.54  (51,98)

While tonight was obviously much slower, the differential in the 50s was less than a second, whereas in his personal best, it was 1.10 seconds. Armstrong, who was once the World Record holder in the 50 back, predictably has speed off the bat, but if he can harness that back half speed with a good start, Armstrong could be reaching new heights. Armstrong has a season-best of 52.68 from his gold medal-winning performance at the 2024 Doha Worlds.

This is not the first time that a backstroke slip has occurred in the finals session of a US selection meet. At the 2014 US National Champions, a then two-time Olympian, Elizabeth Beisel, completely flubbed at the start. Like Armstrong, she did not panic and powered through the race to come back to finish 6th.

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hanqihao
9 days ago

16th in the Olympic heat, 8th in the semifinals, the final champion, I believe such drama will happen because this is him, ha ha ha ha ha ha

sqimgod
9 days ago

Backstroke should be started just like every other stroke from a dive then you roll over onto your back.

Xman
Reply to  sqimgod
9 days ago

How about a back dive?

swimmingrules
9 days ago

Whether you’re religious or not, it is really hard to not root for this dude. So humble, and man does he have some magic.

Sapiens Ursus
9 days ago

I had assumed seeing him comeback on the field that he had an alltime second 50 but it actually looks like he managed to recover a lot on the first 50 in spite of the poor start.

The showdown between him and murphy will be fun

RealCrocker5040
9 days ago

Magic Man’s tricks keep getting more and more incredible

What’s next? He wins the 100 back in Paris with a 23.71 back half???

Aragon Son of Arathorne
9 days ago

he would have been 52 low if that didn’t happen. He may beat Murph tomorrow night. He is fired up

Facts
9 days ago

He truly is a magician, he has that devil magic to do just enough to advance past each round on thin ice

hegetsitdoneagain
9 days ago

“and for my next trick, ill make shaine casas disappear”

Troyy
Reply to  hegetsitdoneagain
9 days ago

Casas is perfectly capable of performing that trick all by himself.