Caeleb Dressel is starting to look like himself again after a long absence and has doubts about his ability to recover his status as one of the world’s best swimmers.
On Friday night, at the U.S. Olympic trials, Dressel secured his first individual win of the Paris Games by dominating the men’s 50-meter freestyle race with ease.
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After clinching five gold medals and becoming one of the most prominent athletes in Tokyo, Dressel had to settle for third place in the initial individual event, the 100 freestyle. As a result, he was assigned to participate in the relay for that distance.
In Paris, he will have the opportunity to defend his 50 free title. He dominated the field in the frenzied sprint from one end of the pool to the other at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Dressel admitted that the 50-meter freestyle race can be a hit or miss, with some days being easier than others. He described his most recent race as a tough one and shared that he wasn’t feeling particularly confident until he stepped up onto the block. Despite the challenges, Dressel knew that the key to success in the race was to keep his head down and swim as fast as he could.
In the latest competition, Dressel managed to replicate his winning performance by completing the race in 21.41 seconds, although it was slightly slower than his time of 21.07 seconds from the previous Olympics. Nonetheless, his impressive performance would have been sufficient to secure the gold medal in 2021.
With a time of 21.69, Chris Guiliano secured his third individual race win in Paris by finishing as the runner-up.
After his remarkable triumph in Tokyo, Dressel shockingly announced his departure from swimming during the 2022 world championships. He disclosed that the sport had taken a significant toll on him and that he needed an extended hiatus to rekindle his passion for the pool.
Unfortunately, Dressel did not make the cut for the upcoming 2023 world championships. It seems that his mindset is something he is still working on developing.
Admittedly, there have been moments during this meet where I have hit rock bottom,” he acknowledged. “Off camera, while conversing with my wife or therapist in the privacy of my hotel room, I have had some tough times. It hasn’t been a seamless journey throughout this meet. Although you may see me smiling, I am making a conscious effort to savor those moments and find joy in them.”
Around 35 minutes following his triumph in the 50 free, Dressel made his way back to the pool for the semifinals of his last competition, the 100 butterfly.
The Floridian athlete, who had tattoos on his body, exhibited remarkable swiftness by clocking in the fastest time of 50.79, thereby establishing himself as the frontrunner for the final event on Saturday night. Dare Rose trailed closely behind with a time of 51.11.
Assuming Dressel secures a top-two finish in that particular race, he could potentially participate in up to five events in Paris, including the relays. This is not too far off from his six-event plan in Tokyo.
He expressed his love for the sport, saying, “I really feel like I’m loving this sport.” Despite not achieving any personal best times, he finds it special to receive love and support from everyone, even when he’s just walking out and not performing.
Regan Smith, like Guiliano, has qualified for swimming in three individual events at the Olympics, following her victory in the 200 backstroke.
Although Smith started off strong and was on track to break the world record, he slowed down towards the end and ultimately finished with a time of 2 minutes and 5.16 seconds.
Phoebe Bacon secured the second Olympic spot with a time of 2:06.27, finishing just over a second behind the winner. Unfortunately, reigning world champion Claire Curzan missed out on a place in Paris, as she was chased down by the competitive athletes with a time of 2:06.34.
In Paris, Smith made an impressive showing by winning the 100 backstroke in a world-record time and securing a victory in the 200 fly. Although she narrowly missed out on a fourth individual race, she still managed to clinch a third-place finish in the 100 fly.
Despite experiencing numerous highs and lows since smashing her inaugural world record in 2019, the Minnesota native has undoubtedly been having an eventful meet.
Smith expressed his pride in his performance, stating, “I’m incredibly proud of this performance.” Despite running out of gas in the last race, he reflected that the meet had been a great one for him.
In a thrilling race, Guiliano secured an Olympic berth by beating Matt King by just a hundredth of a second. Jack Alexy also put up a strong performance, finishing fourth with a time of 21.76.
As he heads to his first Olympics, Guiliano has emerged as a shining star of the trials. He has three individual events to compete in, having won the 100 freestyle and finishing as the runner-up in the 200 free. Now, he adds the 50 free to his impressive list of accomplishments.
Notre Dame’s Guiliano is set to make history as the first American male swimmer to compete in the three events at the Olympics since Matt Biondi in 1988.
Carson Foster is set to take on a new challenge in Paris, as he aims to secure another victory in the 200 individual medley event. This comes after his recent triumph in the 400 IM, proving his versatility and skill in multiple swimming disciplines. Foster’s dedication and hard work have paid off, and fans are eagerly anticipating his performance in the upcoming competition.
During the first two laps, Shaine Casas was on pace to break a world record, but ultimately, Foster caught up to him during the freestyle leg and ended up winning with a time of 1:55.65.
With a time of 1:55.83, Casas secured his first-ever Olympic berth. This is a significant accomplishment for the swimmer who had been touted as a rising star leading up to the Tokyo Games, but faced disappointment after failing to qualify in either of his events at the 2021 U.S. trials.
Casas expressed the significance of the moment, saying, “This means everything to me. I’ve dreamed of this since childhood and now, I no longer have to pretend to be an Olympian. I can proudly say that I am an Olympian.”
In the women’s 200 individual medley semifinals, Kate Douglass once again delivered an impressive performance.
In a thrilling finish, Kate Douglass clinched the top spot with a time of 2:08.53, just edging out Alex Walsh who finished with 2:08.74. Douglass has been living up to her reputation as one of the world’s most versatile swimmers, having already secured wins in the 200 breaststroke and 100 freestyle events. She is also set to participate in the 50 free, although it is expected that she will withdraw from that race.
Exhausted yet elated, Douglass shared his thoughts on the 200 IM, “That was quite a challenge, I must admit. I am feeling pretty drained, but overall, I am content with my performance in the meet. I am eagerly looking forward to my final race tomorrow and can’t wait to see how it turns out.”
