Dressel Enters Six Events At U.S. Olympic Trials, Including 200 Fly & 200 IM

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

Upon the pre-scratch psych sheets for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials (Wave II) dropping this morning, everyone instantly clamored to see what events Caeleb Dressel had put on his schedule.

Dressel, who has been the world’s most dominant male swimmer since the conclusion of the 2016 Olympic Games, has entered in six events for Omaha, found below:

  • 50 free (#1 seed, 21.04)
  • 100 free (#1 seed, 46.96)
  • 200 free (#11 seed, 1:47.31)
  • 100 fly (#1 seed, 49.50)
  • 200 fly (#9 seed, 1:56.29)
  • 200 IM (#14 seed, 1:59.97)

The first four events on the list above are no-brainers. Dressel is the two-time defending world champion in the men’s 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly, and it would be hard to argue that he isn’t the favorite to win Olympic gold in all three in just over a month’s time.

As for the 200 free, Dressel’s primary motivator to enter that race is likely to put his name in the hat for the 800 free relay, an event in which he hasn’t yet represented the U.S. in on the international stage. Prevailing sentiment is that he’ll give the race a go in the prelims and try to post a time that gives him consideration for the relay in Tokyo, similar to what Michael Phelps did in 2008 in the 100 freestyle.

Dressel owns a PB of 1:47.31 in the 200 free, making him the 11th seed in the event, but it’s pretty wide open at the top, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see him head for the semis and see where it takes him if he feels good about his prelim.

The other two events the 24-year-old has entered are the 200 fly and 200 IM. Gregg Troy‘s swimmers have commonly over-entered events and scratched several in past meets, and it would certainly be a surprise to see Dressel take on either, especially given how the scheduling works out.

If Dressel went for the 200 free final, the 200 fly semis would fall later that same session. Then, the 200 fly final comes shortly after the 100 free semis the next night. And then the 200 IM? There’s only one event separating its semis from the 100 free final.

You can find the full Wave II Olympic Trials schedule here.

If we look back at the 2016 Trials, Dressel entered seven events (50/100/200 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 100 fly, 200 IM) and only ended up swimming four of them – scratching the 100 fly semis and failing to advance out of the 200 free heats.

Dressel qualified for the 2016 Olympic team at the age of 19 in the 100 freestyle, ultimately placing sixth in the Olympic final while adding a pair of relay gold medals in Rio, and he also placed fourth in the 50 free at Trials.

So, while he’s entered six events to keep his options open, and we know he can handle doubles extremely well, it would still be surprising to see Dressel risk Olympic spots in his primary events to tackle additional ones, given how the schedule plays out.

Assuming he does not swim the 200 fly, Dressel could swim all the way through to the 200 free final before any of his other races, so that’s certainly in play. He did race the final of the event at the 2017 World Trials, ending up sixth overall.

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Chlorinetherapy
3 years ago

What a time to be alive!!!!

Notanyswimmer
3 years ago

Has there ever been anybody with both a good 50 free and a good 200 fly?

swim2
Reply to  Notanyswimmer
3 years ago

I feel like Milak could drop a sub 22 if he focused on it

mds
Reply to  swim2
3 years ago

The existence of Milak, and no one else in the nearly 3 seconds back, takes real consideration of the 200 Fly off the table for Troy/Dressel.

MKW
Reply to  Notanyswimmer
3 years ago

Le Clos 50 free PB is 21.05 SCM, probably a 22 low LCM…not elite but very respectable.

Last edited 3 years ago by MKW
Xman
Reply to  Notanyswimmer
3 years ago

Bob Bowman said in an interview that the athletes could be the world’s best male swimmers were playing basketball.

I feel that Dressel is an example of this. If he was born 15 to 20 years earlier I don’t think he would have been swimming but probabaly a college basketball or football player. Im not saying he would have been an NBA or NFL player or even a starter, but probably would have been getting playing time for a college.

Pvdh
Reply to  Xman
3 years ago

Dude could you imagine Russell Westbrook or Ja Morant in the pool

monsterbasher
Reply to  Pvdh
3 years ago

Westbrook would miss all his turns.

Dudeman
Reply to  Xman
3 years ago

A 40+ inch vertical at 6’3 means he could definitely dunk, I wonder was his 40 time would be?

Aquajosh
Reply to  Dudeman
3 years ago

There were videos of him (probably freshman year at Florida) before he wiped his Instagram and started over of him dunking a ball. He definitely can.

Xman
Reply to  Aquajosh
3 years ago

G – League here he comes!

MTK
Reply to  Dudeman
3 years ago

He could dunk easily. Me at 6’1 with a 30” vertical can almost dunk. Keeping the ball under control on the way up is the hardest part.

With Dressel’s physical tools, he could do some fancy stuff, not just put down a regular one-handed dunk.

Last edited 3 years ago by MTK
Jon Isaacson
Reply to  Xman
3 years ago

Kiki Vandeweghe and Kris Humphries both set national age group records when they were young..

W_P_1
Reply to  Notanyswimmer
3 years ago

Dean Farris. Duh

DC in DC
Reply to  W_P_1
3 years ago

There was an age group phenom swimmer in St Croix, I believe. A hurricane destroyed the islands pools. So he focused on basketball. Life has a funny way of working out. His name…. Tim Duncan.

Mr Piano
3 years ago

I don’t think he should swim it at the Olympics, but if he did, he could probably go 1:52 high. Dude can easy speed his first 100 in like 52.5, and die a little bit to still be 1:52

PVSFree
Reply to  Mr Piano
3 years ago

The crazy thing is that Dressel doesn’t really die in his races. He’s always pretty damn quick on his back half – I think at that ISCA meet in March where prelims were in yards he even split his 200 going like 47/47 or something. It’s his front end speed that really gets sharp with taper

Xman
Reply to  PVSFree
3 years ago

I don’t see him as a sprinter. To me he is a 200 distance swimmer who is faster then all the power sprinters.

dresselgoat
Reply to  Xman
3 years ago

200 guys don’t go 17.6

Dudeman
Reply to  dresselgoat
3 years ago

to be fair, no one else goes 17.6

Aqqq
Reply to  PVSFree
3 years ago

uh no. he went 48 high 51 high at that meet lol

PVSFree
Reply to  Aqqq
3 years ago

I was talking about prelims

Aqqq
Reply to  PVSFree
3 years ago

oh man i thought u were talking about the 200 fly, my bad man

Old Retired Guy
3 years ago

WOOT..!!

Sharks
3 years ago

Not sure why he’s entered in 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly…200 fly makes sense as he can drop 1:54, 200 IM would be sick too and I think he can go 1:55 mid.

harambe
3 years ago

I’m thinking this Dresell guy might make some noise on the international stage

MX4x50relay
Reply to  harambe
3 years ago

Yeah I think he should try that. He could do some cool stuff I think

THEO
3 years ago

2IM makes no sense but the 2fly actually does make sense. I could see him getting an olympic medal in it.

ooo
Reply to  THEO
3 years ago

The Japanese hurdle is too high, the Hungarian wall too thick

Dudeman
Reply to  ooo
3 years ago

He doesn’t have to win gold in an event for it to be worthwhile to swim, 1:53 gets you silver or bronze, which would be pretty amazing

CRD
Reply to  Dudeman
3 years ago

That mentality is one of the reasons you’re not a pro swimmer. Dressel does not swim an extra event because he could possibly be 2nd or 3rd, when Dressel swims an event he wants to win

Irish Ringer
Reply to  CRD
3 years ago

I guess if you’re not a pro swimmer please don’t comment on these boards 🙂

Littlefin
Reply to  Irish Ringer
3 years ago

He is a pro swimmer, but never races because he knows he can’t win…

Cate
Reply to  Irish Ringer
3 years ago

He didn’t say that. He’s saying something that’s true…that 2nd or 3rd isn’t enough, especially for a guy of Dressell`s caliber.

Dudeman
Reply to  CRD
3 years ago

99.9% of people on this site aren’t pro swimmers, I didn’t realize that was a qualification required to have the opinion that a medal of any kind at the olympics is an incredible accomplishment. But sure, anything less than gold isn’t good and you should avoid situations where you can’t win like the plague, that’s what makes you a great athlete apparently

I did swim for 14 years (and was nowhere near good enough to go pro like some of my peers) so I also realize that success in the sport comes in many different forms. I just thought the idea of having someone win the 50 free and medal in the 200 fly in the same olympics would be… Read more »

Virtus
Reply to  Dudeman
3 years ago

Honestly don’t think 153 medels with Milak seto le clos and all the rest in the mix

Last edited 3 years ago by Virtus
Troyy
Reply to  Virtus
3 years ago

le Clos ain’t going under 1:53. He hasn’t even been under 1:54 since 2015.

Crannman
Reply to  Troyy
3 years ago

Literally just wrong. He WON in 2017 with a 1:53.33!! But I have to admit I’d be shocked he goes under 1:54 as well. He should have just retired the event after his Worlds that year.

Scotty P
Reply to  Troyy
3 years ago

He’s already leaning towards the 100 free in his mind. 🙂

Dudeman
Reply to  Virtus
3 years ago

Milak is guaranteed gold (barring disaster) but 1:53 is still pretty elite, the swimmers that have gone under 1:53 is a pretty exclusive club too. Seto was 1:53 in 2019 and that got him silver which is why I figured 1:53 is a safe bet for at least bronze. It gets really crowded in the 1:54’s so someone like Burdisso could defintely make the Jump, and I’d never count out Kenderesi on the last 50 either for a minor medal

Cate
Reply to  Dudeman
3 years ago

Not for him. I don’t think that’s how he thinks….that a “silver or a bronze would be amazing”.

idc
3 years ago

Would love to see him go all out in prelims for the 200 fly/im just for the time. (probably good practice for morning finals anyways)

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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