World Record Holder Caeleb Dressel withdrew from competition in the middle of the 2022 World Championships due to medical reasons and did not compete in the 100 butterfly there. He then spent roughly nine months away from the sport before returning to the pool. After almost a year away from competition, Dressel returned in May 2023, just over a month before the US Summer Nationals.
Dressel opened up further on his time away from the pool saying “[When] I got back in the water, and they saw I was human. I wasn’t a robot. I wasn’t just a machine anymore. It was like ‘Oh, he does hurt in practice. He does struggle.'”
“I knew I was in a spot where it wasn’t healthy,” Dressel continued. “I got to that point where I was like if I don’t break a World Record at whatever event, then my career is a waste.”
Dressel has since called his thinking at the time “pretty ludicrous.” Today, he recognizes that he is a “pretty good” swimmer, but says that “if you were to ask me that a couple [of] years ago, I don’t know what I’d say.”
Still training in Gainesville, Florida, Dressel has a home on a farm where he rides a tractor and raises chickens and cows as well as his son August Wilder who was born in February 2024.
Dressel speaks of his home on the farm and “living out here is I just, I feel normal. I think that’s what a majority of professional athletes, what we all crave…It’s just very peaceful out here.”
Since his return to competition last May, Dressel has consistently been dropping time. At 2023 Summer Nationals, he finished 19th in the 100 freestyle swimming a 49.42. Just last weekend, he swam a 48.30 in the event which ties him for the 5th fastest American so far this season.
He also has progressed in the 100 butterfly going from a 51.66 at 2023 Summer Nationals to a 50.84 in April at the San Antonio Pro Series stop. Dressel will look to make his third-straight Olympic team next month at US Trials in Indianapolis.
Why doesn’t swimswam post the instagram video they got this from, I think it’s an upcoming NBC video
It’s curious that this article doesn’t provide any context or info on where/when these quotes came from – it’s journalism 101 to do so.
Are these quotes from a larger interview?
People forget Dressel went nearly 5 yrs from 2017 to 2022 without losing an individual race in a big meet. I was actually surprised to see him in the ISL racing for the Cali Condors right after the olympics.
He took a much needed time off and appears to be back, better than ever and ready to dominate sprint swims again. Good to see him back.
He lost the 50 fly at 2017 worlds and multiple individual events at 2018 Pan Pacs, and then there wasn’t a major event in 2020.
So you’re basically saying he didn’t lose an individual event at 2019 worlds or Tokyo.
Three in a row at LC Worlds and Olympics from 2017-2021 in 50 Free, 100 Free and 100Fly. That makes him the best of the generation by far.
Dressel is very talented. I never said he wasn’t. But what Swimdad said is still false and what I said is still true.
I don’t understand why people take extremely successful swimmers and then make up fake statistics to make them look better.
Judging personalities from afar is always the realm of “fans” and not “family”. Having said that, I’ve found Mr. Dressel to be a delightfully funny, even goofy, swimmer who has a superb talent and has realized tremendous success (Duh!) Going forward, the man of steel has happily stated that he’s, well, otherwise, and that is, I think, the key to future success and really all for the good!
Paris 2024? Wow!
I sincerely hope so – his relay reaction on camera in Rio 2016 was priceless, and so watchable for its humanity!
I blame American media.
I remember them calling him the next MP
Such a ludicrous comparison
And he didn’t like it
I agree. He never needed to be the next Michael Phelps. Simply being the first Caeleb Dressel is wonderful enough! 🥇
I dont think anyone needs to be blamed for this. I think the point is he’s better and other athletes can hopefully avoid this happening to them.
The hope is that Dressel will be in the men’s 100m freestyle final in Paris, where the US trials have traditionally been fierce
Why would that not be the hope?
I hope so too, but the US trials are very intense and it’s not that easy to qualify for the men’s 100m freestyle
Interesting how like Nikola Jokic has his horses, Dressel has his farm animals as well. Perhaps the key to being a superstar athlete is domestic animals
Perhaps. But also maybe 1) farms (especially hobby farms) are expensive and superstar athletes can afford them, combined with 2) superstar athletes are all different types of people.
Lebron James doesn’t have a farm. Nor does Michael Phelps.
But if you’re a farm person, I would guess that maybe the monotony and isolation of a farm and animals could be nice sometimes.
bro what
Bro’s yapping
Didn’t him and Bob have race horses in Maryland?
Somehow you get down voted for such a reasonable observation…smh
He just likes animals Braden stop being a cringy edgelord
Getting downloaded for spoiling the American Gothic fantasy for everyone! 😩
Engineers don’t know what it’s like to go outside in nature or work on the farm! #justkidding
Taking care of another living being can be very grounding and fulfilling. What you do has an impact in the now, and is very real
Maybe it helps to put things in perspective
Always rooting for him! Go Caleb!