Caeleb Dressel on Racing Josh Liendo, Bella Sims in Practice

2023 U.S. OPEN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • November 29-December 2, 2023
  • Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Long Course Meters (50 meters)
  • Start Times
    • Prelims: 9 AM (ET)
    • Finals: 6 PM (ET)
  • Psych Sheets
  • Live Results

This weekend at the US Open, 7x Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel showed real signs of LCM life after being out of the water from July 2022 to March 2023. Dressel notched times of 21.99 (50 free, 9th), 51.31 (100 fly, 1st), and 48.85 (100 free, 10th).

We spoke with Dressel in mid-October about the training group in Florida. Dressel said there is no shortage of talent in Gainesville to push you daily no matter what group you’re training in. Specifically, he spoke about sophomore Josh Liendo and freshman Bella Sims lining up with him during workouts.

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jim
7 months ago

#letbellakickwithcaeleb

Anonymous
7 months ago

I really like watching Michael Andrew race.

bigNowhere
7 months ago

It boggles my mind that he considers himself bad at kicking.

Mr Piano
Reply to  bigNowhere
7 months ago

I mean this is the same guy who thinks his 100 free from Tokyo was garbage. Bro is too hard on himself.

Flippin Birds
Reply to  bigNowhere
7 months ago

It’s all relative. He’s a top 5 sprinter in history, but he looses to Bella Sims on kick sets. What boggles my mind is that Bella can beat him, haha.

bigNowhere
Reply to  Flippin Birds
7 months ago

Fair point.

PVK
Reply to  Flippin Birds
7 months ago

What’s your top 5? Cielo, Dressel, Chalmers, Popov, and who else? I feel like I’m forgetting someone obvious.

Admin
Reply to  PVK
7 months ago

Jager and/or Biondi has to be on that list right?

I think that *in era* I’d probably give Jager and Biondi the advantage over Chalmers, depending on how we define “sprinter.” Biondi set multiple WRs in the 50 and the 100, Chalmers really only excelled in one of those.

AquaNerd
Reply to  Braden Keith
7 months ago

Assuming for top male ‘sprinter’ to be 50m and 100m freestyle (and maybe extending to 200m freestyle), I would argue the top 5 are

  1. Alexander Popov: has done the 50-100 double numerous times (92′,94′,96′,03′); most golds at WC, Olympics (9G,2S); has held both WR’s (combined 14 years)
  2. Caeleb Dressel: has done the 50-100 double multiple times (17′,19′, 21′); second most golds at WC and Olympics (6G); has held both textile WR’s (combined 7 years, and counting)
  3. Matt Biondi: has done the 50-100 double (88′); medalled in all three events (86′, 88′); third most medals at WC and Olympics over (4G,2S,3B)
  4. Pieter van den Hoogenband: has done the 100-200 double (00′); medalled in all three events (00′,01′,03′); most medals at
… Read more »

BOBFROMTHEISLAND
Reply to  Braden Keith
7 months ago

1.Popov
2. Dressel
3.Cielo
4.Biondi
5.Jaeger

Didn’t watch Popov Biondi or Jaeger live but the accomplishments do speak for themselves. Chalmers missing is tough imo. This should be an article idea lol @BradenKeith

AquaNerd
Reply to  BOBFROMTHEISLAND
7 months ago

1. Popov
2. Dressel
3. Biondi
4. Hoogenband
5. Cielo

PFA
Reply to  BOBFROMTHEISLAND
7 months ago

A bit controversial but

1. Popov
2. Dressel
3. Cielo
4. Bousquet
5. Biondi

Sometimes I think some forget that Fred was the first man under 21 in the 50 and I put Cielo above him because he has/had the WR’s in both the 50 and the 100 as well as the Olympic medals but Fred has done quite a lot in his career and made history in multiple ways in the 2000s.

AquaNerd
Reply to  PFA
7 months ago

Besides sub 21, the only other major history marks I can think of are in yards (which don’t really count).

PFA
Reply to  AquaNerd
7 months ago

People forget that he was on the SCM European record relay and he is one of 2 people to split 19. there. He also has a PB of 47.2 LC and has the bronze from that world’s where Cielo broke the 100 free world record. Before Lezak split 46.0 Bousquet had the fastest relay split ever at the time in 46.6

Just Keep Swimming
Reply to  Braden Keith
7 months ago

Popov, Cielo, Dressel, Biondi seem to be a clear top 4. Jager vs Chalmers is difficult. Jager has more world records, but he never won an individual Olympic gold. Hard to put someone in the top 5 swimmers ever without winning the Olympics.

AquaNerd
Reply to  Just Keep Swimming
7 months ago

What about Gary Hall Jr., Nathan Adrian, Anthony Ervin and Florent Manaudou for honourable mentions? I think some of those guys are ahead of Jager and definitely Bousquet

Just Keep Swimming
Reply to  AquaNerd
7 months ago

Yes excellent point. Gary Hall Jr definitely up there, I would say above Chalmers and Jager. Adrian had one Olympic win and two bronze but no individual world records. I would put Chalmers above him I think but Jager below him. Flo up there as well.

The more I think about it the harder it is to rank people or choose a top 5. There really just isn’t a clear objective list.

Admin
Reply to  Just Keep Swimming
7 months ago

Fair point.

Flippin Birds
Reply to  Just Keep Swimming
7 months ago

Tom Jager broke the world record 6 times between 1985 and 1990. In the mid to late 80s he and Biondi traded the record multiple times. Ultimately Jager was the first to break the 22 second barrier, and he held the world record for over a decade, until Popov broke it in 200.

Jager should be on the list of top 5 sprinters. Certainly over Hoogenband and Chalmers, who never dominated the 50.

Popov, Biondi, Jager, Dressel, Cielo sounds about right to me.

PVK
Reply to  Braden Keith
7 months ago

Good point.

Bignowhere
Reply to  Braden Keith
7 months ago

If we are talking long course sprinting I would have Biondi ahead of most, including Dressel. I love Dressel, but I don’t think his accomplishments yet equal Biondi’s.

AquaNerd
Reply to  Bignowhere
7 months ago

What is the best way to breakdown categories of the best swimmers in freestyle, e.g. sprint (50-100-200), mid (200-400-800), distance (400-800-1500)? I figure these are probably the clearest boundaries. If sprint is 50-100-200, does Ian Thorpe get an honourable mention or Rowdy Gaines?

bigNowhere
Reply to  AquaNerd
7 months ago

I mostly think of sprinting as being 50 and 100 distances (excluding the 200). So, going by that Rowdy would be ahead of Thorpe for that category IMHO.

Chris
7 months ago

thats loco that a female athlete can give top elite men hell.

Swimswam follower
Reply to  Chris
7 months ago

What do you think Katie Ledecky has been doing for years?

Pete
7 months ago

From the outside looking in, I am always blown away by Caeleb’s humility. He constantly seeks out praise for others. He focuses on the work. He is purpose driven. I know he’s going to climb back to the highest peak in swimming—but what matters more is that he learned to check his ego at the door a long time ago. Amazing.

Giles Anderson
Reply to  Pete
7 months ago

Well said

Johnson Swim school
Reply to  Giles Anderson
7 months ago

He’s a Leo we don’t give up

us open qualifier
Reply to  Pete
7 months ago

I talked to him @ open and he’s literally the chillest dude ever

chazoozle
Reply to  us open qualifier
7 months ago

i could not tell that you qualified for the open

Anonymous
Reply to  us open qualifier
7 months ago

if he was the chillest dude ever, he would not have bolted at the World Championships. He would not have to purge things from his house.

OldCoach
7 months ago

Great to see Caleb with a smile and obviously enjoying swimming.

Random123
Reply to  OldCoach
7 months ago

i don’t know if it’s the video lighting but the smile is literally blinding me

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Coleman Hodges

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