Hunter Armstrong Posts 52.80 100 Backstroke in Practice 1 Week Before US Trials

2020 U.S. Olympian and Olympic gold medalist Hunter Armstrong posted a 52.80, or 53.04, depending on which coach’s watch you trust more, in the 100 backstroke in practice at the Ohio State University on Wednesday.

Armstrong had two coaches time his swim, Head Swim Coach Bill Dorenkott and Associate Head Swim Coach Matt Bowe. Armstrong tells us that Dorenkott clocked him at 52.80 while Bowe had him at 53.04.

Armstrong posted a video of the swim to his Instagram account on Wednesday, April 20th. If we assume the swim took place on the same day, that places Armstrong’s swim 6 days ahead of the beginning of the 2022 U.S. National Championships, which will serve as the World Championship Trials, as well as determine which athletes Team USA will send to other international competitions.

Armstrong’s lifetime best in the 100 LCM backstroke is a 52.48 from the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. This swim in especially significant as Armstrong has only been under 53 in the 100 backstroke on two occasions. If you prefer to all the swim a 53.04, then it marks his 6th-ever swim under the 54-second barrier.

Armstrong called the swim his “first long course swim since Tokyo,” and said that he “definitely need[s] to fix a few things,” such as eliminating 1 underwater dolphin kick off the start, where he appears to do 10 underwater kicks and surface right in between the 15-meter markers of the lane lines.

Calling the swim a 52.80 would make Armstrong the fastest performer in the world this year in the 100 LCM backstroke, while going with the slightly slower 53.04 would make Armstrong the 4th-fastest in the world in 2022.

Armstrong placed 2nd to World Record holder Ryan Murphy at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, and earned an Olympic gold medal by way of the medley relay in Tokyo, which he swam on in the prelims. Murphy is currently ranked 3rd in the world this year with a 53.03 from the Pro Swim Series in Westmont, IL.