INDIANAPOLIS — Caeleb Dressel, one of the world’s greatest swimmers, is beginning to regain his form after a long layoff and doubts about his ability.
Dressel secured his first individual race of the Paris Games by winning the men’s 50-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials on Friday night.
Despite his five gold medals in Tokyo, Dressel finished third in the 100 freestyle. This pushed him into the relay at that distance, but he will have the chance to defend his 50 free title in Paris after dominating the field at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Dressel touched in 21.41 seconds, slightly slower than his winning time in last year’s Olympics but still a performance that would have secured gold.
Chris Guiliano finished second with a time of 21.69.
After his success in Tokyo, Dressel took a break from swimming during the 2022 world championships to rediscover his passion for the sport. He admitted to facing mental challenges but is working on overcoming them with the support of his wife and therapist.
In the semifinals of his final event, the 100 butterfly, Dressel posted the fastest time to position himself as the favorite for the final on Saturday night. Dare Rose came in second.
If Dressel finishes in the top two in that race, he could compete in up to five events in Paris, similar to his six-event program in Tokyo.
Kate Douglass, another standout performer, claimed victory in the women’s 200 individual medley semifinals. She is expected to scratch the 50 free event to focus on her other races.
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