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By David Rieder.
Thursday night, Caeleb Dressel did enough to earn two standing ovations and even got on SportsCenter. That’s what happens when you not only become the first man to break 18 seconds in the 50-yard free but you annihilate 18 seconds—twice.
The night after featured a bit of a scare, as Dressel got out of the pool after swimming the breaststroke leg on Florida’s 4×100 medley relay limping and dealing with some sort of upper leg injury. Sounds extremely painful—but not enough to stop Dressel.
The morning after, he was just fine—even if most of the others in attendance at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center hadn’t gotten over the 17.63-second 50 free they witnessed 16 hours earlier.
Dressel swam in the first of six heats of the 100 fly, having hardly competed in that event all season, and he promptly posted the fastest time overall at 44.37. He turned at the 50-yard mark in 20.32, well under his own American and NCAA-record pace of 20.70. And then he shut it down on the way home.
Dressel’s record is 43.58—and it seems realistically possible for him to threaten the 43-second barrier in the finals. Sixteen months ago, no one had ever broken 44.
His other swim in the session was anchoring Florida’s 4×50 medley relay, and he dropped a split of 17.30. Yes, that’s the fastest in history by almost a half-second. Yes, his split was more than a second faster than the next quickest in the race, the 18.48 put up by USC’s Santo Condorelli.
Consider this: Minnesota is playing host to one of the most exciting team battles at an NCAA championships, and the man who leads off every conversation is Dressel. He’s been compared to comic book superhero Thor. Even Blake Pieroni’s stunning 1:29.63 200 free from his relay leadoff Wednesday night has been reduced to afterthought status.
Dressel, however, doesn’t see himself as the undisputed center of everyone’s attention. Of course, the fact that he deleted all social media in the leadup to NCAAs has something to do with that.
“I don’t know if I am,” he said Thursday night. “There’s a lot of studs in this group. You’ve got Townley (Haas), you’ve got Blake—Blake just was the first man under 1:30. I don’t think I’m at the center of it at all. I don’t want to get complacent with anything. I want to keep staying hungry and keep chasing goal times.”
He’s chasing times, not individuals. In in his final collegiate meet, he’s posting times that could last on the record books for a long time. Not even a bum leg can stand in his way.
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Absolutely amazing!!!!
Ok what’s next? 16.9? This is just outstanding
Jeff Williams Daniel Simmons WOW
I’m gonna watch finals tonight!
Stéphanie Harrison
Ben voyons donc ciboire. Une machiiiiine!!!! :O
Stéphanie Harrison c’est fou ??
Hey imagine en 2020!!!
This is crazy Kamil Sak. He’s dropped .8 sec in three days.
slow down
Can’t wait until 2020!!!
16.89? Why not?
?????
Andre Gomez-Demine unreal
Holy shit
Incredible ????
Great !!!
Bjørn Solberg
Hva slags astmamedisin er det han tar? ?
Heste astma medisin tror jeg
Holy Moley!!!!!
Crazy fast!!!
Incredible
Dodd G Weisenberger Joseph Monestere
Damn
Heidi Koeppel
Insane! 2020 is gonna be ???
Right! So excited!!!
Sue LeBlanc. How unreal s this guy?
holy moley..unreal
Sue LeBlanc at what point is it just physically impossible to go faster? Thought that years ago and they continue to break records.
???????
Unreal!
Evan Patrick
Figured out how to beat him…
Tim
Ridiculous!
So what’s his split going to be on the 400 free relay? 39.99
Steve Kent
Absolutely amazing …
Can’t wait to watch him in long course this summer …
He may hold WRs in 50, and 100 Free, 100 Fly, and 200 IM
Chip Schilling, Ben Thorud, Bryan Erdmann, Brian Treadway
Kane Kevin
This guy is my spirit animal
Beast af
Kane Kevin I thought your spirit animal was a donut ?
He definitely smashed some donuts before that race
The water temperature must have increased a few degrees from that awesome swim?
can’t wait to see what magic he’ll do in Tokyo 2020!! ????
Fantastic!!!
Kevin Kurtz