Olympic Trials: Caeleb Dressel Wins 100 Fly; Heilman Outside Smoke Takes Second
Caeleb Dressel has been on his game at Lucas Oil Stadium at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
After getting a relay spot on the 400 free relay, he won the 50 freestyle and still had one event to go: the 100 butterfly.
Dressel, the world record holder at 49.45 has been fast so far this week, including a 50.79 in the semifinals. His speed continued in the 100 butterfly. Dressel led in 23.53 at the turn and touched the wall in a stunning 50.19.
“It is tough making it through the trials,” Dressel said after the race. “I think I have felt every emotion possible this week.”
In Tokyo, Dressel won the 50, 100 and 100 butterfly gold medals, the first to do so since Matt Biondi.
Dressel, who has dealt with health issues and become a father since that time, and his perspective has changed.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs this week. I am happy with where I am at,” Dressel said. “I think I executed all of my races as well as I could. It is tough. There is no way around it.”
But that makes the high points all the more special.
“There will be quite a few things in my career that I haven’t digested yet that I will put into my dad speeches,” he said. “When you make an Olympic team, no one can take that away from you. You will be an Olympian the rest of your life. That is the same thing with my son – he got to watch me make an Olympic team. He isn’t going to remember it, but I will tell him – trust me. That was extremely special sharing that with August and with Meghan. I saw some of the photos everyone was talking about, and I got choked up. Those were really special.”
It made Dressel reflect on how all of this trials experiences have been different, yet had similar ups and downs.
“I think I didn’t get last because someone DQed (in my first trials). I went from that to making the team the next time, to having my face on the building,” he said. “This one, I still had goals that I wanted to accomplish. Same excitement but very different experiences.”
But who would join him from the Olympic Trials final?
Thomas Heilman used a late burst of outside smoke from lane one to get to the wall second in 50.48. He went from seventh at the turn to second at the wall.
He will be the youngest multi-event Olympian since Brian Goodell in 1976.
Dare Rose was a heartbreaking third at 50.84 at the Olympic Trials. Zach Harting was next at 51.37 and Aiden Hayes was fifth at 51.43.
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Caleb looking good. I’m hoping/ expecting all three Medallists at Paris to break 50sec. Also hoping that Australia’s Mathew Temple is one of them! Better still in a WR!