'Complete shock': American college swimmer shatters men's 50m backstroke record

American Hunter Armstrong has set a swimming world record in the men's 50-metre backstroke.

Armstrong posted a time of 23.71 seconds in the non-Olympic event while competing Thursday night in the International Team Trials at Greensboro, North Carolina.

The meet is selecting the U.S. team that will compete at this summer's world championships in Budapest, Hungary, an event that was added to the calendar after the 2021 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan, were postponed twice because of the coronavirus pandemic. That competition will now be held in 2023.

The 21-year-old Armstrong, who attends Ohio State, won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics last summer by swimming the backstroke leg in the prelims of the 4x100 medley relay.

USA TEAM TRIALS