Retired Australian Olympic gold medalist Duncan Armstrong has undergone emergency bypass heart surgery in Brisbane.
As reported by news.com.aus, 52-year-old Armstrong suffered a cardiac arrest on Tuesday, November 16th, and was rushed to a local hospital where he underwent surgery.
News Corp reported that Armstrong is ‘doing fine’ according to family and friends, but has yet to see any visitors while still inside the intensive care unit. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Armstrong took 200m freestyle gold at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, while also snagging silver in the 400m free. In the former, Armstrong beat out the likes of American superstar Matt Biondi and West Germany’s Michael Gross to top the podium. His winning result of 1:47.25 marked a new World Record at the time and remained intact for nearly a year.
Armstrong retired after the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, having just missed out on another medal after the Aussie men’s 800m free relay was disqualified in the final.
In terms of accolades, Armstrong was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1989 and was inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame in 1993.
Wishing him a speedy recovery. If I recall correctly, he drafted a lot of the way on Biondi’s huge wake & then zipped past Matt right before the end.
Timed it perfectly . Brilliant swim. Remember watching it like yesterday.