Eric Boggs
Hunter Armstrong, a former Ohio State swimmer, has added another prestigious accolade to his career by becoming a two-time Olympic gold medalist. On Saturday, Armstrong played a crucial role in securing gold for the United States in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The team finished with an impressive time of 3:09.28, outpacing Australia (3:10.35) and Italy (3:10.7).
This victory marked Team USA’s first gold medal in Paris, with Armstrong delivering the fastest split in the relay. The race began with the U.S. team in second place after the first leg, but Chris Guiliano’s strong performance gave them a slight lead entering Armstrong’s segment. Armstrong then showcased his exceptional talent by swimming his leg in 46.75 seconds, the fastest among his teammates. He extended the lead to a full body length, setting up Caeleb Dressel to anchor the team to victory with a 47.5-second final leg.
Remarkably, Armstrong’s time was just 0.05 seconds shy of the world record for the 100-meter freestyle, though only the first leg of a relay counts toward the official record. This achievement marks Armstrong’s second Olympic gold as part of a relay team, having previously won in the 4×100 medley relay at the Tokyo Olympics, where he swam the backstroke in the preliminaries.
Armstrong is now poised to pursue another medal in the 100-meter backstroke, with qualifying heats and semifinals set to begin on Sunday. He finished ninth in this event in Tokyo but earned bronze medals at the 2022 and 2023 World Aquatics Championships. Additionally, Armstrong claimed gold in the 50-meter backstroke at the 2023 World Championships, a non-Olympic event.
On the first full day of Olympic events, Armstrong was one of five Buckeyes competing. Former Ohio State fencer Fares Arfa, representing Canada, caused a major upset by defeating three-time defending gold medalist Áron Szilágyi in the first round of the men’s sabre competition. Arfa advanced to the quarterfinals, achieving an eighth-place finish, Canada’s best-ever result in individual fencing.
Former Ohio State pistol shooter Katelyn Abeln, competing for the United States, finished 24th in the 10-meter women’s air pistol qualifying round. Current Ohio State diver Leah Hentschel, representing Germany, placed sixth in the 3-meter synchronized dive. Additionally, former Ohio State rower Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino and her teammate Emma Lunatti, competing for host country France, won their first-round heat in the double sculls, advancing to the semifinals on Monday.
The Ohio State community takes immense pride in the accomplishments of its athletes, with Hunter Armstrong leading the charge in showcasing the exceptional talent nurtured at our esteemed institution.
