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>> Caeleb Dressel
After a Yearlong Delay, the Extraordinary Tokyo Games Delivered! BY JOHN LOHN
I
t was all supposed to go down last summer, Tokyo the centerpiece of the sporting world. Champions crowned. Iconic performances recorded. Moments of redemption. Upsets. Tears of elation. Tears of heartache. There would be a little bit of everything, and something for all. Of course, the original plan was shredded. The COVID-19 pandemic, in all its tragic fury, changed the world. Amid the loss of lives and shifting daily environments, the 32nd edition of the Olympic Games was postponed, and while that decision paled in comparison to the life-altering effects of the Coronavirus, athletes saw their dreams put on hold. If the yearlong delay felt like an eternity – to competitors, fans and media – what transpired in Tokyo proved worth the wait once the Games were held in the Japanese capital. Everything that was initially anticipated was produced, another Olympiad supplying what is – typically – quadrennially desired: The emotions, surprises, goal fulfilments and more. Let’s take a look, and appreciate, what the Tokyo Games delivered.
JOB DONE
As hyped as any Olympian in Tokyo, Caeleb Dressel couldn’t avoid the comparisons. Due to his vast potential for an epic medal haul, Dressel was linked to United States icons Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Matt Biondi. All along, Dressel emphasized that he just wanted to do his thing – and 20
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be recognized for his ability. Shouldn’t be a problem any longer. As the United States topped the medals count in Tokyo, with 30 pieces of hardware and 11 gold medals, Dressel was nothing short of phenomenal. The 24-year-old from Florida collected five gold medals, three of them solo, set a world record and deftly managed the immense pressure that was placed on his shoulders even before the COVID delay. Coming off a pair of World Championships (2017 & 2019) in which he starred for the Red, White and Blue, Dressel affirmed his status as the sport’s leading face at his second Games. He won individual gold medals in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, and led Team USA to gold in the 400 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay. The fly and medley relay golds arrived in world-record time. Dressel had to negotiate a gauntlet of challenges, from the United States topping a stout field in the 400 freestyle relay to beating a stacked British squad in the 400 medley relay, a world record of 3:26.78 getting the job done for Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Dressel and Zach Apple. In between those relays, Dressel turned back Australian rival Kyle Chalmers in the 100 freestyle, fended off Hungarian threat Kristof Milak in the 100 butterfly (49.45 to 48.68) and waltzed to gold in the 50 freestyle.
