As reported earlier:
Florida sophomore Caeleb Dressel added an even more unheard-of 18.23 to his record-breaking 18.39 second freestyle swim from Wednesday’s prelims at the 2016 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships in Columbia, Missouri.
He now has the two fastest 50 yard freestyles in the history of the sport. The records he broke in prelims:
- SEC Championship Record, Matt Targett, 18.52 (2009 SEC Championships)
- SEC Record, Cesar Cielo, 18.47 (2008 NCAA Championships)
- American Record, Nathan Adrian, 18.66 (2011 NCAA Championships)
- NCAA Record, Cesar Cielo, 18.47 (2008 NCAA Championships)
- U.S. Open Record (fastest ever), Cesar Cielo, 18.47 (2008 NCAA Championships)
In prelims, Dressel, despite swimming the fastest 50 free ever, was a touch long on his turn, leaving the door open to take the record even lower, and the race was won by the time he came up off the start, but the record was earned with a better turn.
From another angle, courtesy University of Florida Athletics:
And from another angle, courtesy Auburn Swimming & Diving:
#HungarianHammer is 2nd in 19.17, Darmody 7th in 19.52. pic.twitter.com/uNek6jRcW8
— Auburn Swim & Dive (@AuburnSwimming) February 18, 2016
Other major 50 frees prelims/finals combos:
- Cesar Cielo, 2008 NCAA Championships: 18.79 prelims, 18.52 finals
- Matt Targett, 2009 NCAA Championships: 18.52 prelims, 18.85 finals
- Vlad Morozov, 2013 NCAA Championships: 18.91 prelims, 18.63 finals
- Kristian Gkolomeev, 2015 SEC Championships: 18.88 prelims, 18.64 finals
- Caeleb Dressel, 2015 NCAA Championships: 18.86 prelims, 18.67 finals
That is a great way to put it. Breath placement and amount of breaths must be specific to the athlete and what they need to accomplish a successful 50.
Like some people above, I don’t get why he breathed on his second stroke but I came up with a theory that might be true. It’s hard to tell but it looked like he breathed on the second stroke in prelims as well so I don’t think it was something out of bad habit or a mistake. It was definitely on purpose.
I think he may be exhaling all of his air before he hits the water. This would make his body more dense. Then more dense something is the faster it is going to travel through the water initially. If you drop a bowling bowl in the water vs. a basketball filled with air, you know what happens.… Read more »
I agree. A step further….his breath allows for greater buoyancy through stroke 8 (that’s how many I counted in the AM anyways). So he gets dense at the right time, then floaty at the right time.
Attn: Braden Keith
Was wondering if you might allow us to print the article you wrote about Florida sophomore Caeleb Dressel. He was a student from Clay High School here in our hometown in Clay County, Florida.
We are good news newspaper. If you give me permission I would like to place it in the next issue coming our in March. I will of course give you credit and also give the Swim Magazine credit if you like.
Incredible start, underwater work, turns and explosiveness. However, isn’t his stroke somewhat awkward? And quite unlike some of the other world-class sprinters? His stroke must be very difficult to maintain over much more than 50 yards. But I guess I am wrong as the kid has already done a 48 in LCM … Anyway – the 50 in Rio is certainly no longer a shoe-in for Manadou.
48,78 to be exactly
His body position is so reminiscent of Bousquet in 2009(20.94 and 47.15 that year, if I’m not mistaken). I can’t comprehend having such a high body position without a poly suit. His ability to maintain his velocity through the entry/underwater/breakout is incredible. I’m excited for the 100. I’d like to see hum under 41.0 at this meet and challenging Vlad’s record at NCAAs. Great swim
47,25 I think. but Dressel is like a Small Kid compared to Bousquet, bousquet was Huge..
47.15 at French trials, 47.25 at worlds. Also, bosquet had muscle, but he wasn’t tall.
I don’t really understand SCY times but I do know fast and that was fast. Real, real fast. Wow!
21-low long course 50 and a 47-low 100 are, I think, entirely reasonable expectations. I really want to see what he can do in the big tank.
Using SwimSwam’s own time conversion tool, the 18.23 comes to a 21.03 LCM. So almost .2 faster than the world champion last summer, and unless I’m missing something – faster than anyone ever except Cielo in a bodysuit.
Now if only he would stop writing bible verses on his face…
bousquet went 20.94 before too I think but still, so hard to wrap my head around that swim. Simply. Amazing. Love it.
SCY -> LCM conversion tools are quite inacurate, Cordes 200Br on Yards translated to a 2,04 LCM..
About the fastest 50 time Bousquet went 20,94, so 2 guys under 21
Agree on the 50 free, don´t agree on the 100 free, he improved his 50 scy time by 0,4 and he is a 21,5 free, a 21,3 21,2 is feasible, but he is a 48 high 100 freestyler and he already went 41-low I think on 100 SCY, even on his improvement going a 48-low is much more feasible than a 2 second drop.
It’s important to remember though, that Dressel hasn’t raced a legitimate 100 since like 2013 junior worlds. He took like 6 months off from swimming and the last year was him getting back into to racing shape. I think a sub 48 is entirely likely. Though 47 low is probably not in the cards right now.
DIRTY!!!
That’s a baaaad man
I love love love the emotion !