Mr. Consistency: Caeleb Dressel Goes 18.23 For A Third Time

2017 MEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

For the second time tonight, Caeleb Dressel tied the 2nd-fastest 50 free ever swum, going 18.23 to win a third-straight NCAA title.

Dressel was an identical time leading off Florida’s 200 free relay earlier in the night. He first went 18.23 back at SECs last year, meaning his swims now sit in a three-way tie for #2 all-time.

With this swim, Dressel now owns the entire top 10 swims in history in the 50 free – an insane feat, given ever single one of those swims has come in the past two years. He’s put four swims into the top 10 in 2017 and the other 6 entries all come from the year 2016. Tonight’s swim bumps out former U.S. Open record-holder Cesar Cielo, whose 18.47 was hanging by a thread heading into tonight’s meet.

Here’s a look at the new top-10 list, which is all Dressel:

Men’s 50y Free – Top Swims All-Time

  1. Caeleb Dressel (2016) – 18.20
  2. Caeleb Dressel (2017) – 18.23
  3. Caeleb Dressel (2017) – 18.23
  4. Caeleb Dressel (2016) – 18.23
  5. Caeleb Dressel (2016) – 18.24
  6. Caeleb Dressel (2016) – 18.29
  7. Caeleb Dressel (2016) – 18.32
  8. Caeleb Dressel (2017) – 18.38
  9. Caeleb Dressel (2016) – 18.39
  10. Caeleb Dressel (2017) – 18.46

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Hoffers suit
7 years ago

Hoffer would have been third with his 18.71

Bigly
Reply to  Hoffers suit
7 years ago

Clear water is different than swimming in the wake pool with a field of 19 second or better large men.

Heya
7 years ago

Only Dressel could make a 18.23 semi-disappointing. Still an amazing swim!

Theo
7 years ago

Anyone else notice that Dressel’s left shoulder eagle/flag tattoo seems to be gradually disappearing? It’s definitely not as bold and dark as it used to be, even in Rio. Anyone know what’s happening there?

dressels suit
Reply to  Theo
7 years ago

chlorine

FLSwimmer
7 years ago

Anyone know the story behind the strings out of his tech suit when he races?

Hswimmer
Reply to  FLSwimmer
7 years ago

His suit is probably so tight he can’t fit them in 😉

Anonymous
Reply to  FLSwimmer
7 years ago

Ever since he started swimming as a kid he has never had his strings in his suit. It’s just grown into his racing tradition having the strings out

Mikeh
7 years ago

Funny as I recall Cesar Cielo repeated his times too. Interesting – as if their nervous systems are so finely calibrated that they can repeat their times to he 100th of a second.

Mikeh
7 years ago

Wow!

I love Dressel’s freestyle – hands and elbows stay close to the body on the recovery, too many swimmers don’t do that.

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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