Paris 2024, North America Day 9: With 49.41 Fly Split, Dressel Ends Olympics On A High Note

2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
  • Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
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• Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8
• Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6| Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9

The 2024 Paris Olympics were an up-and-down meet for Caeleb Dressel.

Dressel started off the meet with a positive note, anchoring Team USA’s men’s 4×100 freestyle relay to their third consecutive Olympic gold medal. That relay three-peat was a testament to his revolution — in 2016 he was the rookie, in 2021 he was the star, and in 2024 he was the veteran. All three times, he was atop the podium.

Then, the individual swims didn’t go Dressel’s way. He failed to defend his 50 free and 100 fly titles, and fell victim to the strain of a four-swim day. In the morning, he had to race the 100 fly and mixed medley relay, whereas at night he swam the 50 free final and 100 fly semi-final. The load he put on managed to be too much for him, as he finished sixth in the 50 free and failed to make the final of the 100 fly — going over second slower than his season best of 50.11 in the 100 fly. That season-best would have taken bronze in the event, but it was clear that he wasn’t in the shape to do doubles anymore.

After Dressel finished his individual swims, NBC panned to him crying — it was a moment of controversy, raising questions about just how much athlete vulnerability needed to be shown to the public.

But when all was said and done, Dressel still closed his meet on a positive note. He split 49.41 on the butterfly leg of Team USA’s 4×100 men’s medley relay, which was the fastest split of the entire field and arguably the most impressive split amongst the Americans. Although Team USA lost to China in this relay, the swim was a remanence of his legacy as the guy who once was the driving force of American men’s swimming. It was a reminder of who he once was — the fastest swimmer on the the planet from 2017 and 2021, who wasn’t completely ready to let that title go. And even when he wasn’t at his best, he still managed to step up for his country.

If anything, just being at the Olympic Games should be seen as positive for Dressel. Just over two years ago, he withdrew from all his events halfway through the 2022 World Championships and disappeared from the public eye, leaving the swimming world wondering if he was ever going to compete again. He was out of competition for 11 months, and when he came back, he was clearly out of shape and didn’t qualify for 2023 Worlds.

What Dressel went through this quad should put into perspective everything he’s done in Paris. He might not be unbeatable the way he was before, but the fact that he stood on the podium not once but twice — alongside putting out a statement-making butterfly split — showed that he was still Caeleb Dressel, doing things on his own terms.

Other Highlights:

• Bobby Finke broke the world record in the men’s 1500 free in a time of 14.30.67, claiming Team USA’s only individual gold medal in American men’s swimming.
• The U.S. women’s 4×100 medley relay of Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske took gold in world record fashion (3:49.63). Smith broke the 100 back Olympic record (57.28), while Walsh clocked the fastest women’s 100 fly split ever (55.00). Canada finished fourth, just missing the podium.
• For the first time ever, the American men did not win the 4×100 medley relay, falling to second place behind China. The Canadians placed fifth.
• Walsh missed the podium by 0.01 of a second in the 50 free, finishing fourth.

North American Medal Table: