Dressel Has 3 Different Freestyle Strokes: GMM presented by SwimOutlet.com

Gold Medal Minute presented by SwimOutlet.com

COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases are on the rise, but I’m remaining positive about the 2020 Summer Olympics and pushing forward, especially on the topic of Olympic and World Champion Caeleb Dressel.

Dressel holds himself to high standards, but to your every-day-swimmer he had an impressive showing at the Des Moines Pro Swim. His most impressive race was the 200 free, where he nearly ran down specialist Townley Haas.

Dressel has a lot of speed this early in the season, but with Gregg Troy on deck you know he’s putting in an aerobic base–enough to get home fast in the 2-free.  When asked if Dressel has a different stroke for his 2-free, he explained he has 3 different freestyle strokes.  This is next level and explains a lot about Dressel’s success. It’s rare when a swimmer can win the 50 and the 100 free, two very different events. Knowing Dressel adjusts his stroke in the 50, 100 and 200, and has clearly achieved mastery doing it, makes sense.

DES MOINES PRO SWIN – DRESSEL RESULTS

200 free – 3rd – 1:47.55

100 free – banana heat winner – 48.62

50 free – 1st – 21.51 *PSS Record

PREDICTIONS

Again, provided COVID-19 doesn’t derail U.S. Olympic Trials, Dressel swims the 200 free in the prelims, dropping a 1:45.9.  But who care what I think…what do you think?

See my Dressel predictions from earlier this year– pre-COVID:

DRESSEL US OLYMPIC TRIALS EVENT SCHEDULE: I think Dressel swims his stock schedule in Omaha, 50-100 free, and 100 fly. He swims the 200 free, but only in prelims. I also think he’ll test 200 IM. If he’s on, I could see him swimming the semi and final at Olympic Trials.

DRESSEL US OLYMPIC TRIALS  100m FREE:  I’m only getting specific about one race this far out, 100m free.  100m fly was his best event at the 2019 World Championships this past summer, popping the 49.50 world record. I think 100m free will matter more to him in Omaha. He got too close to the 100m free world record this past summer, Cesar Ceilo’s super-suited 46.91 from the 2009 World Champs in Rome. While Dressel’s best taper will certainly be at the 2020 Olympic Games, he’s going to race almost fully rested at U.S. Trials. I don’t think he’ll take any chances.

Dressel’s 2019 World Championship 100m free — 46.96

My 100m free U.S. Olympic Trials Dressel prediction — 46.84

Follow Gold Medal Mel on Instagram here

Follow Caeleb Dressel on Instagram here. 

RECENT EPISODES

This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.

In This Story

33
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

33 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Swim4fun
4 years ago

B final: banana heat
A final: Apple heat?
How about C&D?

Sqimgod
Reply to  Swim4fun
4 years ago

Zach apple the giant!

Yabo
Reply to  Swim4fun
4 years ago

Cucumber and dragon fruit

Gold Medal Mel
4 years ago

I like 1:45.49 more. UP VOTE!

The Original Tim
4 years ago

Interesting. I’ve got different strokes for each of the 50-100-200-500 free, but I think it’s less of a matter of mastering different strokes and much more of a matter that I’m a 200 swimmer at heart and everything else is a devolution of that stroke to varying degrees.

At best, my 50 stroke is me thrashing at the water, since I’ve never learned how to effectively sprint even after 20+ years of competitive swimming. The 100 is less messy, but still a bit unrefined. My 200 is probably the only race where I’ve got a locked-in stroke. The 500 is awkward for me since I never train for it, so while the stroke is different from my 200 stroke,… Read more »

The Original Tim
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
4 years ago

So, uh, add a *few* seconds to all of those and we’re in the same ballpark!

In free, I know my key issue is that I’ve got a 100% hip driven stroke and a naturally slow tempo, which works quite well for me in the 200, generally works fairly well in the 100, and doesn’t work at all in the 50. Realistically, my only utility on Masters 200 free relays is because I have a great start and underwaters; at best I’m mediocre to average on the surface. I’m quite comfortable being on my team’s B or C relay if we’ve got enough people.

For back, I’ve pretty much only got one stroke, just with different tempos between the 50-200.… Read more »

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
4 years ago

Better to be slow-twitch than no twitch at all.

John D
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
4 years ago

A former coach of mine, that was a teammate at UT with you, said your freestyle was more of a kick driven stroke than arm driven stroke. He said you could kick freestyle almost as fast as most could swim, so adding your arms in gave you a little more speed.

Any truth?

Ragnar
4 years ago

Curious if he uses the 100 or 200 stroke during the 200IM freestyle leg. And it sounds like Andrews would benefit tremendously from a few weeks with Troy, if only once a day.

Gold Medal Mel
Reply to  Ragnar
4 years ago

Interesting. Based on video, Dressel’s final 50 of the 2-IM looks like his 100 free stroke.

usaswimerror
Reply to  Ragnar
4 years ago

MA is looking pretty awesome in my book. He has a legitimate shot at making the team in four events.

usaswimerror
Reply to  usaswimerror
4 years ago

51.3 1 fly at last PSS

Entgegen
Reply to  usaswimerror
4 years ago

I don’t see it happening as long as Dressel and Rooney are healthy.

Thomas
Reply to  Entgegen
4 years ago

And Seliskar and conger

Im:er
Reply to  Ragnar
4 years ago

Welll…. In 100im you swim 50m pace for every 25, at 200im it’s 100pace and for 400im it’s 200pace

Lane 8
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel Stewart
4 years ago

Adrian ran him down, didn’t he?

ZanBai
4 years ago

Just want to say to Mel. You have amazing voice.

Admin
Reply to  ZanBai
4 years ago

I have a recording of Mel reading “Goodnight Moon” that I listen to every night as I fall asleep.

Gold Medal Mel
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

…goodnight room, goodnight moon, goodnight cow jumping over the moon…

JimSwim22
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel
4 years ago

Mel, I bet that doesn’t read as well as it sounds. We all want what Braden has.

CheddaShredda
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Someone needs to throw this up on Spotify so that we can all enjoy it!

swimgeek
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Not sure if you’re serious – but now you guys need to make this happen! Especially given the times we’re living through!

Gold Medal Mel
Reply to  swimgeek
4 years ago

Wise Brown estate and rights holder might take issue w/that. But…someone should right a swimmer kids book… Goodnight working the core, goodnight kickboard, goodnight weirdly long reports by Craig lord…

Gold Medal Mel
Reply to  Gold Medal Mel
4 years ago

Oops “should *write”

PhillyMark
4 years ago

I’d kill for a ‘no-pop’ 21.5

About Gold Medal Mel Stewart

Gold Medal Mel Stewart

MEL STEWART Jr., aka Gold Medal Mel, won three Olympic medals at the 1992 Olympic Games. Mel's best event was the 200 butterfly. He is a former World, American, and NCAA Record holder in the 200 butterfly. As a writer/producer and sports columnist, Mel has contributed to Yahoo Sports, Universal Sports, …

Read More »