View source for Aaron Armstrong

{{Short description|American sprinter (born 1977)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor    = 
| name           = Aaron Armstrong
| image          = Aaron holding the silver.jpg
| image_size     = 220
| alt            =
| caption        = Aaron Armstrong (left) holding his Olympic silver medal.
| fullname       = Aaron Nigel Armstrong
| nickname       = 
| national_team  = {{TRI}}
| residence      = 
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1977|10|14|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Houston, Texas]]
| death_date     = 
| death_place    = 
| height         = 5 ft 8 in
| weight         = 154 lb
| website        = 
| country        = 
| sport          = [[Track and field]]
| event          = [[100 metres]], [[200 metres]]
| collegeteam    = [[Florida Gators track and field|University of Florida]]
| club           = 
| team           = 
| turnedpro      = 
| coach          = 
| retired        = 
| coaching       = 
| worlds         = 
| regionals      = 
| nationals      = 
| olympics       = 
| highestranking = 
| pb             = 
| show-medals    = no
| medaltemplates = 
{{Medal|Sport | Men's [[athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country | Trinidad}}
{{Medal|Competition | [[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100&nbsp;m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Central American and Caribbean Championships|CAC Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Silver | [[2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics|2011 Mayagüez]] | 4 × 100&nbsp;m relay}}
{{Medal|Competition | [[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze | [[2010 Commonwealth Games|2010 Delhi]] | 100 m}}
}}

'''Aaron Nigel Armstrong''' (born 14 October 1977) is a [[track and field]] [[Sprint (running)|sprint athlete]] who competes internationally for [[Trinidad and Tobago]].<ref name="beijing">{{cite web |url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/2/8003602.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080809103432/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/2/8003602.shtml |archive-date=2008-08-09 |url-status=dead |title=Athlete biography: Aaron Armstrong |website=[[Beijing2008.cn]] |access-date=August 29, 2008}}</ref> He is the 2008 Olympic champion in 4 × 100 metres relay.

Armstrong attended the [[University of Florida]] in Gainesville, Florida, where he ran for the [[Florida Gators track and field]] team in NCAA competition. One of his first international medalling performances came at the [[2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships]]: he won the [[200 metres]] silver medal behind [[Usain Bolt]] and helped the Trinidad and Tobago team to the gold medal in the [[4 × 100 metres relay]]. He reached the quarter-finals of the 200 metres at the [[2005 World Championships in Athletics]] and was sixth in the [[2005 IAAF World Athletics Final]].<ref name=IAAFBio>[http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/letter=0/athcode=136063/index.html Armstrong Aaron]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 2010-10-07.</ref>

He was selected to represent his country at the [[Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games|2006 Commonwealth Games]] and finished in fifth place in the 200 metres final. He helped his country retain the relay title at the [[2008 Central American and Caribbean Championships]], but he lost his place in the individual events to his national rivals [[Emmanuel Callender]] and [[Rondel Sorrillo]] (who won gold and silver).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.athlecac.org/estadisticas/resultsMeet.asp?Meet=5338 |title=Results service Campeonato CAC de Atletismo 2008 |website=athlecac.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725023150/http://www.athlecac.org/estadisticas/resultsMeet.asp?Meet=5338 |archive-date=2011-07-25 }}. AthleCAC. Retrieved on 2010-03-09.</ref>

Armstrong represented [[Trinidad and Tobago at the 2008 Summer Olympics]] in Beijing. He competed at the 4 × 100 metres relay together with [[Marc Burns]], [[Keston Bledman]] and [[Richard Thompson (athlete)|Richard Thompson]]. In their qualification heat they placed first in front of teams from Japan, the Netherlands and Brazil. Their time of 38.26 was the fastest of all sixteen teams participating in the first round and they qualified for the final. Armstrong was replaced by [[Emmanuel Callender]] for the final race and they sprinted to a time of 38.06 seconds, the second time after the Jamaican team, winning the silver medal.<ref name="beijing"/> However, later on Jamaica were disqualified, and Trinidad and Tobago promoted to the gold medal. He also took part in the 200 metres individual, finishing first in his first round heat, with a time of 20.57 seconds. With 20.58 seconds in the second round he only placed fifth in his heat, which was not enough to qualify for the semi-finals.<ref name="beijing"/>

He ran in the 200 metres at the [[2009 World Championships in Athletics]] in Berlin, but he was eliminated in the first heats stage (although his time of 21.38 was a season's best).<ref name=IAAFBio/> He took the bronze medal at the [[Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games|2010 Commonwealth Games]], finishing behind [[Lerone Clarke]] and [[Mark Lewis-Francis]].<ref>[http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/07102010/2/games-clarke-keeps-jamaican-flag-flying-absence-bolt.html Games-Clarke keeps Jamaican flag flying in absence of Bolt]. [[Reuters]] (2010-10-07). Retrieved on 2010-10-07.</ref>

== Personal bests ==
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=December 2022}}
*100 m – 10.03 (2009)
*200 m – 20.08 (1999)
*400 m hurdles – 51.68 (2002)

As of 14 November 2024, Armstrong holds the 200 metres track record for Meridian where on 3 April 1998 he clocked a time of 20.32&nbsp;seconds with a following wind of 2.6&nbsp;m/s.

== See also ==
{{Portal|Biography|Olympics}}
* [[Florida Gators]]
* [[List of University of Florida Olympians]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{World Athletics}}
* {{Olympics.com}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{CGF profile}}
* {{2006 Commonwealth Games profile}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Men|2008|2012}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, Aaron}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Houston]]
[[Category:Trinidad and Tobago male sprinters]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Trinidad and Tobago]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Junior college men's track and field athletes in the United States]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Trinidad and Tobago]]
[[Category:Florida Gators men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Trinidad and Tobago]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Barton Cougars men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Trinidad and Tobago]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics]]