BY : Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
An American swimmer who helped propel the men’s team to a gold medal in the 400-meter relay says his Christian faith has given him peace in the midst of high-stakes competition on the world stage. Team USA’s Hunter Armstrong swam the third leg of the 400-meter freestyle relay Saturday as the Americans edged Australia for the gold medal in one of the most-watched events of the Summer Games. Armstrong’s split of 46.75 seconds was the fastest on the team — even faster than fourth-leg sensation Caeleb Dressel — and led Swimming World Magazine to label him the “unexpected star.”
Hunter Armstrong with an absolutely dominant performance to lead the USA to a gold medal in the Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay at #Paris2024.
The former Buckeye posted a ridiculous 46.75-second split. https://t.co/BuBAAFZKXk pic.twitter.com/csQThnFmlG
— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) July 27, 2024
“I definitely didn’t expect it. I just went in. I would give my entire body and soul up for these boys,” Armstrong said. “I knew I had to give Caeleb everything I had, and so I was glad I was able to get my job done.”
It was the second Olympic gold medal for Armstrong, who also won gold at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 in the 400-meter medley relay. The 6-foot-6 swimmer is an Ohio native and competed at Ohio State University.
His faith, he said, has fueled him. His Instagram bio reads, “GOD FIRST!”
“That’s the first thing I want people to see and know about me,” Armstrong told Tim Ellsworth of Baptist Press. “As we grow, we have to make sure we have our priorities in line. I keep God as a priority. I can’t really live without Him. I can live without swimming or being an Olympian or any of that stuff.”
Armstrong told Baptist Press he has grown in his faith in recent months following the death of his grandfather and a painful breakup with a girlfriend.
“That’s been the biggest change that I’ve made this year,” he added. “I promised at (World Championships) that if He would help me get out of this, then I would embrace it.”
His goal for Paris, he told Baptist Press, is simply to do his best.
FIRST OF MANY 🇺🇸🥇
The men’s 4x100m freestyle relay secures Team USA’s first gold medal of the #ParisOlympics!
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 27, 2024
“Obviously, I want to have a great performance for myself, my country and my teammates,” Armstrong said. “But if I walk away and I don’t have a single medal or a single best time, I can still walk away knowing that I represented myself well — and God.”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Sarah Stier/Staff
About The Author
