Dressel and Ledecky win again at US Olympic swim trials, Kate Douglass too

Caeleb Dressel wrapped up his second individual race in Paris, giving him another chance to shine after his stellar performance at the last Olympic Games.

Also keep an eye on Kate Douglass. She could be one of America’s biggest poolside stars.

And of course, Katie Ledecky will be swimming a slew of events.

Dressel, the winner of five gold medals at the Tokyo Games, claimed victory in the men’s 100 butterfly at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials on Saturday evening.

Dressel followed up his victory in the 50 freestyle with a winning time of 50.19 seconds, giving him a chance to defend another of the gold medals he captured in Tokyo.

“I think I performed all my swims to the best of my ability,” he said.

Douglass concluded her third individual event at the Olympics with a win in the 200 individual medley.

She was neck-and-neck with Alex Walsh going into the final turn, but no one could keep up with Douglass on the freestyle leg.

She finished in 2:06.79, while Walsh held on to the second Olympic spot in 2:07.86.

Douglass has lived up to her reputation as one of the most versatile swimmers in the world and has also achieved trial victories in the 200 breaststroke and the 100 freestyle.

“I’m really happy about that,” Douglass said. “I came to the competition trying to win all three events, but I didn’t think I could achieve that. So I’m glad I did that.”

Ledecky romped to her fourth victory of the trials, winning the 800 freestyle in 8 minutes, 14.12 seconds. Paige Madden took second place in 8:20.71.

Ledecky plans to drop the 200 freestyle from her Olympic program, but will compete in the 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyle, as well as the 4×200 free relay.

Dressel did not come close to his world record of 49.45, which he set at the last Olympic Games. But he led all the way, moving about half a body length ahead of 17-year-old Thomas Heilman, who earned second place for Paris in 50.80.

Dressel will also swim up to three relays at the Summer Games, which would put him close to the six-event schedule he had in Tokyo. The only event he did not win three years ago was the mixed relay.

“It’s hard to get through the trials,” Dressel said. “This is really the hardest part.”

The only individual gold that Dressel will not be allowed to defend in Paris is the 100 freestyle. He missed out on a third-place finish in his first event of these trials.

Heilman will also compete in the 200 butterfly, winning that event at the trials to become the youngest man to make the U.S. swimming team since 15-year-old Michael Phelps in 2000.

“The butterfly is in good hands with this man,” Dressel said, gesturing to Heilman. “He’s scary, scary.”

Walsh will be swimming at the Olympics alongside her sister Gretchen, meaning she will ultimately be part of the team on the penultimate night of the trials.

“It means the world,” said Alex Walsh, who competed in Tokyo without her sister. “I didn’t know if I would make it to Paris after she made it. This is a dream we have been dreaming about for so long.”