July 31, 2021 at 07:09AMAlice Park
The 100-m butterfly had been largely dominated by Michael Phelps at the Olympics since 2004. Now it’s Caeleb Dressel’s turn.
Dressel won the race at 49.45 on Saturday in Tokyo, nabbing his third gold medal of the Summer Games and breaking his own world record by .05 seconds.
Keeping to himself in a corner of the ready room before the race, Dressel didn’t sit in the chair reserved for him, choosing to stand off to the side. A self-described “loner” and “weirdo,” Dressel prefers not to talk to many people at meets, but talked to himself as he walked onto the deck to cheers from his fellow Team USA swimmers. It’s a strategy that’s worked well for him. The only swimmer who went under 50 seconds in qualifying, Dressel led from the start, holding off rising star Kristof Milak of Hungary, who won the gold in the 200-m butterfly earlier. Dressel, however, owns the 100-m distance, and popped off the blocks with one of the fastest reactions times of .60 seconds. Dressel hit the wall at 50 m in 23.0, and continued his blistering pace through the finish.
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Dressel now owns the five fastest times in the event, that’s been no small feat, given that the record he broke in 2019 belonged to none other than Michael Phelps, who was the first to break the 50-second barrier at the world championships in 2009, which Phelps swam in a super suit. Dressel’s time puts him in the company of other great American swimmers in the event, from Phelps to Ian Crocker, Pablo Morales and Mark Spitz, each of whom contributed to faster and faster races that set the stage for Dressel’s impressive time.
The gold is the second individual one for Dressel, who also claimed the 100-m freestyle title in Tokyo. It’s his third gold of the Games, including his win with teammates Blake Pieroni, Bowen Becker and Zach Apple in the 4×100-m freestyle relay. Dressel has one more individual final, the 50-m freestyle, on the last day of the swimming competition in Tokyo, and may be selected to swim a few more relays as well.
Read more about the Tokyo Olympics:
- Naomi Osaka: ‘It’s O.K. to Not Be O.K.’
- Motherhood Could Have Cost Olympian Allyson Felix. She Wouldn’t Let It
- Simone Biles’ Olympic Team Final Withdrawal Could Help Athletes Put Their Mental Health First
- ‘Unapologetic and Unafraid.’ Sue Bird Stares Down Olympic Glory in Tokyo and Equity Off the Court
- Meet 6 Heroes Who Helped Battle COVID-19 Before Competing in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics
- Here’s How Many Medals Every Country Has Won at the Tokyo Summer Olympics So Far
- 48 Athletes to Watch at the Tokyo Olympics
- The Olympic Refugee Team Was Created to Offer Hope. Some Athletes Are Running Away From It
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