Hunter Armstrong Obliterates American Record With 24.01 50 Back, #2 In History

2022 U.S. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRIALS

• April 26-30, 2022
• Greensboro, NC
• Greensboro Aquatic Center
• LCM (50m)
• Start Times: Prelims – 9 am ET / Finals – 6 pm ET
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It was an absolutely scorching end to the preliminary session on Thursday morning in Greensboro, as Hunter Armstrong and Justin Ress both annihilated the existing American Record in the men’s 50 backstroke.

Armstrong blasted his way to a time of 24.01, shattering Ryan Murphy‘s American Record by over two-tenths of a second to become the second-fastest swimmer in history.

Murphy set the previous mark of 24.24 at the 2018 U.S. National Championships in Irvine, the last time U.S. swimmers raced the stroke 50s with selection on the line. That swim also marked the previous U.S. Open Record.

One heat later, Ress answered the bell, soaring to a final time of 24.05 to narrowly miss Armstrong’s mark and also getting well under the previous American Record. At that same Nationals meet four years ago, Ress set his previous best of 24.31, which ranked him as the second-fastest American and 10th-fastest swimmer ever coming into the event.

Now, Armstrong shoots up to second all-time, trailing Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov (23.80), and Ress now sits fourth, also back of Great Britain’s Liam Tancock, who clocked what was long the world record of 24.40 in a super-suit at the 2009 World Championships.

All-Time Performers, Men’s 50 Backstroke (LCM)

1. Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 23.80 – 2021 European Championships
2. Hunter Armstrong (USA), 24.01 – 2022 U.S. Trials
3. Liam Tancock (GBR), 24.04 – 2009 World Championships
4. Justin Ress (USA), 24.05 – 2022 U.S. Trials
5. Camille Lacourt (FRA), 24.07 – 2010 European Championships
6. Robert Glinta (ROU), 24.12 – 2018 European Championships
7. Bobby Hurley (AUS), 24.13 – 2013 FINA World Cup – Dubai
8. Mark Nikolaev (RUS), 24.23 – 2019 Russian National Championships
9. Junya Koga (JPN) / Ryan Murphy (USA), 24.24 – 2009 World Championships / 2018 U.S. Nationals
10. –

Kolesnikov, who first broke the world record in 2018 in a time of 24.00, has been sub-24 on four separate occasions, doing so just yesterday at the (unsanctioned) Russian Championships in Kazan in 23.93.

Factoring in that swim, Armstrong’s performance is the fifth-fastest of all-time, while Ress’ is seventh.

All-Time Performances, Men’s 50 Backstroke (LCM)

1. Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 23.80 – 2021 European Championships
2. Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), / Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 23.93 – 2021 European Championships / 2022 Russian Championships
3. –
4. Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 24.00 – 2018 European Championships
5. Hunter Armstrong (USA), 24.01 – 2022 U.S. Trials
6. Liam Tancock (GBR), 24.04 – 2009 World Championships
7. Justin Ress (USA), 24.05 – 2022 U.S. Trials
8. Camille Lacourt (FRA), 24.07 – 2010 European Championships
9. Liam Tancock (GBR) / Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 24.08 – 2009 World Championships / 2021 Russian Championships
10. –

Armstrong, who qualified for the U.S. Olympic team last summer in the 100 back and has likely already locked in a Worlds spot after tying for fourth in the men’s 100 freestyle, set his previous 50 back best time of 25.45 in May of 2021.

The 21-year-old Ohio State Buckeye was relatively off form at the NCAA Championships last month, but showed signs he was going to be good in Greensboro when he posted on social media that he clocked 52.8 in a 100 back during practice in the lead-up to the meet.

Shaine Casas qualified third for the final behind Armstrong and Ress, clocking 24.45, while Murphy (24.63), Adam Chaney (24.78) and Jack Aikins (24.81) were also sub-25.

Casas, Chaney and Aikins all set massive new best times and climb up the all-time U.S. rankings. Casas leads the trio, moving into a tie for sixth with Tom Shields.