Hunter Went Herculean to Lift American Relay Team to Glorious Gold

Chills kept moving through my body as Hunter Armstrong got in the water and I found myself falling in love with him.

A mountain of a man, channeling Hercules, buzz-sawing through the water, blowing by everyone to catapult the Americans into a commanding first place in the 4 by 100 men’s relay. Not just any race. The test of who’s got the fastest swimmers in the world.

Hunter went hunting. Hunter went hell-bent. Hunter went hogwild.

You go, Hunter. Bust up the pool. Lose all inhibitions in the water. Put the Americans back on the top podium after a night that had an Australian aroma with Ariarne Titmus beating Katie Ledecky in the 400 freestyle.

Americans needed a pick-me-up.

Needed Hunter Hercules.

Went hunting for Gold. Went all Good Will Hunter.

Busted a 46-something for 100 meters, which is above elite. Treated Americans a moment kind of like when Jason Lezak came back in 2008 to win Gold against the French.

This time you went third in the sequence but you were Herculean in this race. You elevated the spirits of a nation of 340 million people. You made us feel proud. You gave us belief. In all of us, you instilled hope, and there’s nothing we need and like more.

In 46 sensuous seconds of sublime swimming.

You got us to our guy of all guys, Caeleb Dressel, to finish off the race.

“You are not going to catch Caeleb Dressel,” said Rowdy Gaines, caught up in the emotions of what he was seeing.

No one caught Caeleb.

Touched the wall did CD. What a dude.

Roar. Four guys, the fastest freestyle team on planet Earth, from the United States.

Slapping hands. A lifetime of practice.

All worth it. Gold Medals for each one of them.

Colossal talents, all four of them: Dressel, Hunter, Chris Guiliano, and Jack Alexy.

Came through on the biggest stage of all with the most people watching.

With everything at stake.