“He leads both in and out of the water and is just an incredible swimmer,” said Katie Ledecky, a three-time Olympian and 10-time Olympic medalist. In turn, his teammates speak highly of him. When asked for a post-press conference photo, Dressel said yes, but only if teammate Zach Apple could also be in the picture. He joyfully recounted how he had helped teach a few of the women on the team how to play poker during the pre-Games training camp in Hawaii, and how the team bonded during coffee runs and meals. He does not think of himself as the swimming king that he is.ĭressel seems happiest talking about his teammates. Who am I to say, ‘Oh yeah, it's easier racing girls? No. “I'm not going to rule someone out because they're a girl. “Racing is racing, no matter if you're a guy or girl,” he stated. Many thought he would surely catch the “girls” in front of him.īut Dressel did not dismiss the competition in that relay. had one of its toughest performances in history in this race, and Dressel dove into the water in last place. team with the freestyle leg, the only male to swim that leg in the final. Later that same morning, in the mixed medley relay - an event that made its Olympic debut in Tokyo - Dressel anchored the U.S. He's going to put me on the job one day, so I'm going to hold on as long as I can.” “He's really good at butterfly,” said Dressel of the Hungarian swimmer. Then, after he set a world record in the 100 butterfly, he talked about rival Kristof Milak, the 21-year-old from Hungary who chased him down in the final 50 meters. 1, 2021 in Tokyo.Īfter anchoring the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay to gold - his first race in Tokyo - he credited his teammates with the win, saying “there's four guys for a reason, it's certainly not just me and it's certainly not just one guy.” He is also quick to deflect praise onto his teammates and competitors.Ĭaeleb Dressel celebrates with teammates at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Aug. His goal, he said, was not to accrue a war chest of medals. With the Tokyo Games on the radar, Dressel deflected questions about his growing celebrity. People started calling him the next Michael Phelps - a comparison Dressel refuses to acknowledge because it’s not fair to Phelps.ĭressel almost matched that feat at 2019 worlds, claiming six world titles and finishing as runner-up with the U.S. And I knew the next go around, I wanted to achieve a lot more than just being a relay swimmer.”Ī year later, he dominated at the 2017 world championships, winning an astonishing seven gold medals. “I wasn't necessarily happy with how I did. “I was still a teenager in that moment,” Dressel said of his Rio experience. At the 2016 Rio Games, he finished sixth in the 100 freestyle, then won two Olympic gold medals as part of the men’s 4x100 freestyle and medley relays. Back then, he was a 19-year-old student at the University of Florida, an up-and-coming sprinter who qualified for his first Olympic Games in the 100-meter freestyle. In the Catch-22 of celebrity, Dressel’s humility and honesty will likely have the opposite effect, making him an even bigger champion.ĭressel made his Olympic debut in Rio five years ago. He is a humble champion who shies away from the spotlight - confessing after he won the 100-meter butterfly in world record time that “the sport was a lot more fun when no one knew my name.” Historic figures on the list include Finnish running legend Paavo Nurmi, who won five Olympic gold medals on the track in 1924, American Anton Heida who claimed five golds in gymnastics at the 1904 Games, and Eric Heiden, who famously speed-skated to five Olympic gold medals at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.īut don’t look for Dressel to flaunt his accomplishments. The 24-year-old swimmer won five Olympic gold medals in Tokyo, a feat that only 10 other Olympians have accomplished, including swimmers Michael Phelps, Matt Biondi, and Mark Spitz. TOKYO - At the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Caeleb Dressel joined elite company. Caeleb Dressel at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Aug.
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