DOHA, Qatar (WCMH) — Former Buckeye swimmer Hunter Armstrong claimed his first world title in a marquee event by the slimmest of margins.

The Dover native won the 100m backstroke final at the 2024 World Swimming Championships in Doha, Qatar, his first world title in the event. After swimming right next to the lane line during the first 50m, Armstrong got back to the middle of the lane in a dead heat last 50m against Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez.

As the two approached the finish, Armstrong’s last stretch was able to claim gold by two hundredths of a second. Greece’s Apostolos Christou earned the bronze medal.

Armstrong has now won ten medals at the world championships with this gold being his second in an individual race. His other three world gold medals came in relays alongside two silvers and three bronzes. The 23-year-old will return to the pool as he looks to defend his 50m backstroke world title. That final will be on Sunday at 11 a.m.

The win for the former Buckeye makes Armstrong the favorite for the 100m backstroke final at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The Olympic final in the 100m backstroke will be on July 29.