Caeleb Dressel was in tears on Friday night after failing to defend his gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics in both individual events for which he qualified in Paris.
The Florida native, who turns 28 next month, finished sixth in the 50m freestyle final before placing 13th in the 100m butterfly semifinals after winning gold in both events in Tokyo three years ago. After completing both races in a space of about 40 minutes, could be seen in tears to the edge of the pool, where they hug a member of the Team USA swim team.
“It wasn’t my best work, obviously,” Dressel said. “But the races here were really fun. Running the 50 and the 100 fly, that was special. I never want to forget that. I would like to be faster, that’s for sure. Not my week, that’s fine.
“I would like to perform better, but I can’t. I have trained to go faster than the times I am doing now. I know that. So yes. It is tough, a little bit heartbreaking. A little bit heartbreaking, for sure.”
Dressel’s road to his third Olympic Games was anything but straightforward. In 2022, less than a year after his breakthrough five-gold medal win in Tokyo, he withdrew midway through the World Championships and took eight months off from the pool to address his mental health.
When he returned to the U.S. National Championships the following year, Dressel came nowhere near qualifying for the World Championships, failing to reach the A-Final in either sprint event.
Dressel, who has been seen as Michael Phelps’ successor since winning a record seven gold medals at the 2017 world championships, admitted he’s struggled with the pressure of expectations. “I get it, trying to find the next guy,” Dressel said last month at the U.S. Olympic trials. “But I’ve said multiple times that I’m not Michael at all, and I’m comfortable admitting that. I think I’m pretty good at what I do. And I’ve exceeded a lot of my expectations in the sport, and I’ve exhausted the talent that I have, and I’ll continue to do that.”
Australia’s Cameron McEvoy won gold in the 50m freestyle, becoming the first Australian man to win gold at these Olympic Games.
It hasn’t been all bad for Dressel. On Saturday, he led the Americans to a third straight 4x100m freestyle title on the opening night of the swimming program to win his eighth medal of the Summer Games, all gold, extending one of the greatest records in Olympic history.
Only two other men (or women), Usain Bolt and Ray Ewry, have won as many Olympic medals without a silver or bronze.
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Earlier on a grueling Friday, Dressel raced for Team USA in the mixed 4×100-meter medley relay heats, giving him another shot at a ninth career Olympic gold when the final takes place Saturday night in the western suburbs of Paris.
Australia’s Kaylee McCown defeated Regan Smith of the United States to win the 100-meter backstroke in a time of 2 minutes, 3.73 minutes, breaking Missy Franklin’s 12-year-old Olympic record set at the London Olympics.
Smith finished in a time of 2 minutes, 4.26 seconds to earn her fifth career silver medal, along with a single bronze medal.
“If I had won a silver medal and been a second slower, I think I would have been really disappointed in myself because that wasn’t my best foot forward. That wasn’t what I could do,” Smith said. “That’s one of my fastest times ever. I think I really challenged Kaylee and made it really exciting and thrilling. So I’m really happy with it.”