[ PHOTO BY MINE KASAPOGLU / ISL]
Caeleb Dressel and the Obstacles Awaiting His Olympic Showcase BY DAVID RIEDER
A
fter winning a record-tying seven gold medals at the 2017 FINA World Championships and then a record-breaking eight total medals at the 2019 version of the meet, Caeleb Dressel had to wait out the pandemic-induced 12-month delay of the Olympic Games, just like everyone else. But in 2021, Dressel gets a shot at taking his signature steamrolling to the Olympic level. The accomplishments Dressel could reach at this summer’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics are significant, even if there’s no realistic path for the 24-year-old Floridian to match Michael Phelps’ eight gold medals from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But seven? That’s definitely a possibility. Dressel enters the Olympic summer as gold medal favorite in the 100 free, 100 fly and 50 free, and he figures to be a key member of the American men’s 400 free relay, men’s 400 medley relay and the newly-added mixed 400 medley relay. He could make an appearance on the U.S. men’s 800 free relay, as well.
1. Caeleb Dressel vs. Kyle Chalmers This one will be no surprise to anyone who has followed the men’s 100 free over the past four years. In 2016, Kyle Chalmers was just 18 when he shocked the world and came from behind to win Olympic gold in the 100 free. A year later, he missed the World Championships after undergoing heart surgery, and Dressel took advantage. Showing his abilities on the global level for the first time, Dressel swam a 47.17 to win by a massive margin of six tenths. But when Dressel returned to defend his title in 2019, Chalmers was waiting for him. Dressel went out a half-second ahead of his Australian rival, but Chalmers stormed back and almost got back to dead even at the finish. Dressel won gold in 46.96, but Chalmers was right behind in 47.08. Dressel got the American record and improved to third-fastest all-time in the event, and Chalmers moved to sixth all-time.
The other piece of history Dressel could accomplish is becoming just the third man to win three individual gold medals at one Olympics. The others, of course, are Mark Spitz, who won four events in 1972, and Phelps, who won four events in 2004 and five in 2008. (Nine women have won more than two individual golds at one Games).
Chalmers underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery in November, but the surgery was minor with a prognosis for a quick return to swimming, and he was back in the competition pool in January. When the two reach their inevitable 100 free rematch in Tokyo, even if Dressel takes another shot at Cesar Cielo’s 12-year-old world record (46.91), Chalmers should be right there at the finish.
But that’s all hypothetical right now. Winning races in real life is a lot different than projecting based on best times and previous accomplishments. And in real life, Dressel will face a series of difficult challenges this July.
2. Watch Out for Kristof Milak At the 2017 Worlds, Hungary’s Kristof Milak took the silver medal behind Dressel in the 100 fly. Two years later, Milak won his first world title in the 200 fly in stunning fashion,
12
BIWEEKLY
SWIMMINGWORLD.COM
