2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Sunday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 30th
- Budapest, Hungary
- LCM (50m)
- Full Competition Schedule
- Meet Info
- Psych Sheets
- Omega Results
- Pick ’em Contest
- Event-by-Event Previews
After an outstanding performance at the 2017 FINA World Championships, Team USA’s Caeleb Dressel has been named Male Swimmer of the Meet. In his first World Championships, Dressel won 7 gold medals. Individually, he won 3 World Championships titles: the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly. He was also a member of 4 champion relays.
2017 World Championships Performances: Caeleb Dressel
- Men’s 50 free- gold medal, American Record
- Men’s 100 free- gold medal, American Record
- Men’s 50 fly- 4th place, American Record (semis)
- Men’s 100 fly- gold medal
- Men’s 400 free relay- gold medal
- Men’s 400 medley relay- gold medal
- Mixed 400 free relay- gold medal, World Record
- Mixed 400 medley relay- gold medal, World Record
FINA bases their Swimmer of the Meet selection on the following points system: 1st place = 5 points, 2nd place = 3 points, 3rd place = 2 points, 4th place = 1 point, World Record = 2 additional points. Only individual swims are included when tallying these points.
All-in-all, Dressel garnered 16 points. His gold medal total (7) was more golds than any country other than the U.S. earned throughout the meet. Dressel and Michael Phelps are the only men in history to win 7 gold medals in a single World Championships meet. He also became the first man to win 3 World Championships gold medals in one night when he won the 50 free/100 fly double on day 7 and then finished off the day with gold in the mixed 400 free relay.
Great Britain’s Adam Peaty was a close 2nd with 14 total points. He earned 5 points for each gold (50 breast, 100 breast) and 4 World Record points for breaking the record in the 50 breast during both prelims and semifinals. China’s 2015 Male Swimmer of the Meet Sun Yang (200 free gold, 400 free gold) shares 3rd place with the USA’s Chase Kalisz (200 IM gold, 400 IM gold), as each won 2 events.
Top Male Performers: 2017 FINA World Championships
- Caeleb Dressel, USA, 16 points
- Adam Peaty, GBR, 14 points
- (Tie 3rd) Sun Yang, CHN, 10 points
- (Tie 3rd) Chase Kalisz, USA, 10 points
Dressel’s time drops from before U.S. Nationals to the World Championships have been huge. Most notably, he went into Nationals with a lifetime best of 52.2 in the 100 fly. He dropped it down to a 50.87 to earn his spot at Worlds, and then obliterated his best time again by a full second with a 49.86 in the Worlds final. That came just a half hour after the 50 free, and made him the first man to ever break 50 seconds in textile.
Dressel’s Time Progressions:
| Event | Fastest Time Before 2017 Nationals | Fastest Time at 2017 Nationals | Fastest Time at Worlds |
| 50 free | 21.53(2015) | 21.53 | 21.15 |
| 100 free | 47.91 (2016) | 47.97 | 47.17 |
| 200 free | 1:48.39 (2016) | 1:47.45 | N/A |
| 50 fly | 23.86 (2015) | 23.05 | 22.76 |
| 100 fly | 52.22 (2016) | 50.87 | 49.86 |
Astonishing, a true specimen, just waiting to see when he will add the 200 free and perhaps the 2im. The truth is, Dressel is perhaps the most athletic human to ever race at the world level–How in the world did basketball not get a hold of the kid first????? Can’t wait to see what he does in Japan
Reposting from a different article for visibility- would like to start a debate / conversation.
I hope dressel helps put to rest the whole “less is more” for sprinters mindset – especially in LC 100 events – that has been plaguing American sprinting for a couple years now. Obviously there is a balance to strike, but I think it should err more on the “more is more” side.
Data points:
Dressel (obviously)
Guy (trains for 4 free)
Schooling (trains for 2 fly)
Pieroni (you know the put in work at Indiana, dirty 2free)
Mcevoy’s earlier 100s (also went 1:45 2 free)
Duncan Scott (2free LC)
Magnussen back in the day
Yannick Agnel!… Read more »
Poor USRPT. RIP
Hmm not sure that’s true, we currently only really have one true example (MA) to compare, he’s still young and I think they’re still figuring it out. Would really like to see some dry land added and perhaps some blocks of volume yardage for him. Maybe a year with Troy 🙂
MA couldn’t handle a year with Troy
how do u know ?
As someone who swam for Troy, I have serious doubts that someone putting in as little yardage as MA could make the transition…not only with the yardage (even as a sprinter) and overall pool time that would be expected of him, but the out of pool time as well. If he had done it 2 or 3 years ago, then yes, but not now. But even if he could manage to make the transition physically and mentally, which would be a huge hurdle, MA’s parents are too involved in his swimming and would continue to insist upon their involvement with his development, and that wouldn’t fly in that program. So while it is possible MA could potentially “handle” a year,… Read more »
There are good points here but remember that training stimuli varies from individual to individual. If we are seeking to make larger conclusions about sprint training we need a larger data set to make a strong recommendations. Any time we believe that “one thing” is the golden goose, we’ve lost the battle. Every race uses a combination of energy systems that need specific stimuli to be trained–and these stimuli need to balance individual athlete response.
Dressel 2020:
50 free
100 free
100 fly
200 IM
4×100 free
4×200 free
4×100 med
4×100 mixed med
Hopefully he can pull it off!
Problem is based on Rio schedule, the 200IM really throws a spanner in the works it would mean 50free semi, 100fly semi and 200Im final in one night, not sure how the 2020 schedule will look. I feel he would have to choose between 50 free or 200 IM. But throwing in the 200 Free indv could work well (based on rio)
200 IM he’s up against Kalisz and 200 free he’s up against Haas, Sun, Guy, and others. Both would really be a huge challenge.
Not to take anything away from Dressel – he was clearly Swimmer of the Meet. I want to appreciate how far American women’s sprinting has come in the past year since Simone broke 53 and won the first Olympic Gold since 1984. Team USA greatly benefited from the luxury of two consistent stud freestyle sprinters, which propelled 4 of the relay victories this week:
Comerford:
52.47(r)
52.59 AR
52.82(r)
53.42
52.85
52.77
52.71(r)
52.90(r)
Manuel:
52.14(r)
52.17(r)
53.17
52.69
52.27 AR
52.18(r)
52.23(r)
this what i thought today ….the shift those girls took in a year or more is absolutely stunning .
At first I was comparing him to Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps, he is more like Matt Blondi. Like Matt Blondi he can swim sprint fly as well as free,
Although mixed relays obviously padded Dressel’s medal count, it’s possible that without that mixed medley, he could’ve broke the world record in the 100 fly.
Perhaps could have used him on 4×200 too.
Time to go PRO. Olympics is 3 years out. His value is no higher than now. He’s one injury away from losing that. As much as I’d like to see him go 39 at ncaas and he will, he can still do that at a yards meet. He’s already won NCAA individual titles. UF won’t win ncaas next year. He can still finish school and train at UF. Hate to say it but if I was a financial advisor the clear answer is capitalize on the money now
I disagree, I think the smart move is to finish his commitment to his education and NCAA career, its really just one year left. No major meets really until 2019 at which stage he will be pro, and can capitalize on the build up to Tokyo. If injury does happen or he has peaked, he’s already had an exceptional swimming career and will have his college degree to go explore other avenues. He’s clearly got a winning formula, and found a balance doing what he’s doing. Education, commitment to his team, and stability I believe are crucial for him right now, over and above making some quick money in the next year.
He can still train at UF and get degree. It wouldn’t be giving up education. Not sure why you assume that. I’m guessing he’d get a 6 or 7 figure deal at this point. Not to mention what he could make on pro circuit.
Unless he’s otherwise wealthy, financially it’s silly not too. He still could get degree
Fair enough regarding degree, I get the feeling from his interviews/social media that swimming for the gators is up there in his priorities, also everything is geared there to balance swimming and studies. Another season of NCAA swimming schedule can only build his experience in handling high pressure multiple individual events and relays, you cant buy that.
I don’t deny it bares considering, and personally would have to think long and hard… I don’t see Caeleb going pro.
Honestly I don’t think you’re all wrong and I would love to watch him swim NCAA this year. But his performance is top 10 and maybe top 5 at a world championship of men all time. He’s earned a huge pay check. He will be the face of US men. He invests that money well it could set him up for life or at least give him a nice security blanket. . I only say this about maybe 10 swimmers in the world at any time. Most can’t earn the type money that can do that. Add the fact he’s close to getting degree anyway and can stay at training program, unless he’s otherwise wealthy or has a very promising… Read more »
I’m slowly getting convinced here 🙂 hard to argue the long term financial security. Also I will say, although I can’t argue with the security from making some serious money I don’t think it should be the dominant factor, success has many different faces. I still don’t see him doing it.
If you followed Caeleb on Instagram you would see that he leads a simple life. He’s a fun loving country kid that as of now probably doesn’t really value money much. Give him a three-wheeler, or a horse to ride and his U of Florida suitemates ( his boys )and he’s content. And I’m sure he’s chasing some records at U of Florida that will probably last for a very very long time.
Dressel 2017 world championship performance was 2nd to Michael Phelps 2008 Olympic performance.
No. Dressel got more relays than Phelps did, take those away and he would have 5 gold medals, still phenomenal, but not comparable to 2007, 2008 Phelps, more like 2016 Phelps.
there is nothing to compare to these W championships ….we are entering a new Era – Finally ! did u see it ?