World Championships, Day 3 Finals: Hunter Armstrong Edges Out Hugo Gonzalez By 0.02 To Win 100 Back
Hunter Armstrong beat Hugo Gonzalez to the touch by 0.02 to claim his first 100m backstroke title at the World Championships in Doha.
Gonzalez had a slight lead going into the final couple of metres with the pair going stroke for stroke as the American managed to get his hand to the wall a slither ahead in 52.68 to 52.70.
Apostolos Christou of Greece claimed his first world medal with bronze in 53.36.
Gonzalez, winner of 2020 European silver, led Armstrong at the turn by 25.53 to 25.61 with Christou a further 0.02 behind.
The American though came home in 27.07 to 27.17 for gold after taking bronze at the last two World Championships.
From left: Hugo Gonzalez, Hunter Armstrong & Apostolos Christou: photo courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Armstrong and Gonzalez are teammates at Cali and the American said:
“It feels really special to win this medal. I was not able to get the 50m back and to get to share the podium with Hugo – this dude is my brother and a training partner – so it is awesome.
“It is just one thing to win the title but to share it with the person that you love, that makes it much better.
“This cooperation means a lot – he focuses more on 200m, and I focus more on 50m, so we meet in the middle and we complement each other.”
Gonzales echoed Armstrong’s sentiments, saying:
“I had a really great time here especially starting with Hunter.
“I was talking to him before the race in the call room and we made it on the podium so it is amazing.
“It is intense, this is my first podium in the World Championships.
“In the 100m as I did not make it on the last two occasions.
“So it is awesome and Spanish swimming – we are doing a little bit better and we are hoping to get more people into the sport and to make the things even better.”
It was the second 100 back win in as many races for the USA following Claire Curzan’s victory in the women’s equivalent and the team’s second straight men’s world title following Ryan Murphy’s victory at the Fukuoka worlds.
Murphy has bypassed the Doha World Championships with 2022 champion and 2023 silver medallist Thomas Ceccon also absent after withdrawing last month after sustaining a finger injury in late December.
Christou’s teammate Evangelos Makrygiannis was fourth – locked out by 0.02 in 53.38 – while Commonwealth champion Pieter Coetze had a torrid race, hitting the lane ropes to finish in 53.51.
Roman Mityukov (53.64), Miroslav Knedla (53.74) and Jack Aikins (54.50) completed the field.
