Team USA's swimming program has produced plenty of star power in recent Olympic history. From Michael Phelps and Caeleb Dressel on the men's side to Katie Ledecky on the women's side, the United States always seems to have high-quality athletes fighting for gold medals in the pool.
Hunter Armstrong figures to be one of the next great American swimmers. He might not be quite as well-rounded as the likes of Phelps, Dressel and Ledecky, but as a backstroke specialist, he is one of the best in the world.
That should grant Armstrong a chance to represent his country for a second time at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He may even have a chance to compete for gold in the 50- and 100-meter backstroke competitions.
But who exactly is Armstrong? Here's what to know about the Ohio native and his plethora of interests, from magic to music, as he becomes one of the key representatives for Team USA in Paris.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
Full Olympics schedule | How to watch in USA | Meet NBC's broadcasters
Who is Hunter Armstrong?
Hunter Armstrong is a swimmer looking to qualify for Team USA at the 2024 Olympic trials. The lanky swimmer specializes in the backstroke, and holds the world record in the long-course, 50-meter backstroke race. He set that record at the 2022 U.S. International Team Trials.
Armstrong was a part of the 2021 Olympic team in Tokyo and helped the United States win a gold medal in the 4x100-meter medley. Naturally, he performed the backstroke in that event.
Armstrong is the reigning gold medalist in the 50-meter backstroke at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. He also won gold in the 4x100-meter medley at that event and took home a bronze in the 100-meter backstroke.
Team USA will rely on Armstrong to serve as its best backstroke swimmer, and he should contend for gold in the event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
How old is Hunter Armstrong
Armstrong is just 23 years old, as he was born Jan. 24, 2001. He already has Olympic experience under his belt, and figures to be a core part of Team USA's men's swimming team over the next couple of Olympics.
MORE: Revisiting Katie Ledecky's stunning gold medal win at the 2012 Olympics
How tall is Hunter Armstrong?
Armstrong is tall for a swimmer, standing at 6-6. That gives the Ohio State product an advantage given his reach and ability to push off the wall and into the backstroke.
Of course, that requires Armstrong not to slip while diving in and pushing off the wall, something he struggled with early in Team USA's swimming trials.
"HOW DID HE DO THAT?!?!"
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 17, 2024
Hunter Armstrong with a MASSIVE recovery to finish second and advance to the men’s 100m backstroke final!
📺 NBC & @peacock | #SwimTrials24 pic.twitter.com/oGZe8kCb6l
Still, Armstrong was plenty fast enough to finish second in that race and advance to the final.
What is Hunter Armstrong's nickname?
Armstrong earned himself the nicknames "The Magic Man" and "The Magician" because of his habit of performing magic tricks for his Olympic teammates.
Armstrong first began performing magic tricks when he was a kid, but it followed him during his Olympic career. He used it as an icebreaker with his teammates and credited the skill for helping him "come out of my shell with the Olympic team."
BEST U.S. OLYMPIANS
Top 33 rankings | Simone Biles | Katie Ledecky | Jesse Owens
"I mean, I'm just some 20-year-old kid. Never left the country. Never been on an international team," he told Olympics.com of his time at the Tokyo Olympics. "I was still new to swimming and just to be thrown in with the greatest athletes of all time, when I'm just some kid who managed of squeeze onto the team, it was intimidating."
Armstrong's reputation spread quickly among the team. He knew he had finally "made it" when Caeleb Dressel referred to him by name when the USA Olympic team was announced.
"Caeleb walks by me and he goes, 'You're Hunter, right?' And at that point I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, Caeleb Dressel knows my name! I know I made it in the world now'," Armstrong said.
"I still fanboy over Caleb Dressel," he added. "I’ll go underwater and watch him, like, how does he do it?"
Hunter Armstrong, Broadway hopeful?
Armstrong isn't just an athlete and a magician. He also is a musical theater aficionado who acted during high school. It was part of his plan to be as well-rounded as possible — which is, ironically, why he didn't believe he would ever be an Olympian, per Olympics.com.
"My childhood, I just tried to dabble in everything," he explained to Olympics.com. "I was in musical theatre, art club, football, baseball, track. I did everything that I could, and I didn't specialize. Seeing people like Ryan Murphy and Caeleb [Dressel] and the greats of our sport, they all specialized really young, so I didn't think that that was achievable for someone who had spread themselves too thin."
While Armstrong developed into an Olympian, it came at the cost of starring in his senior musical in high school. He was set to play Sky — the fiancé of the protagonist Sophie — in Mamma Mia!, which he said was one of his favorite shows.
However, that production coincided with the junior swimming nationals, so Armstrong wasn't able to participate. Still, he performed in three musical productions in high school: Hello, Dolly!, Mary Poppins and The Addams Family, in which he played Lurch, the family butler.
And Armstrong's love of musical theater has carried over into the swimming world as part of his pre-meet ritual.
"It's always musicals," Armstrong said when asked what he listens to before meets. "Some people listen to like Eminem… I'm listening to Wicked or Book of Mormon."
Is a future on Broadway in the cards for Armstrong? Maybe not, but he has given thought to acting when he wraps up his swimming career.
"Sometimes I'll put on an accent at practice just to have fun, but I don't get to act much," he said. "Maybe after swimming, I'll get back into it."
Whether it's on Broadway or at a community theater, it would be fun to see the 6-6 athlete in action as an actor.
