Ryan Held compares his individual performances to Dressel’s (Video)

^{Reported by Robert Gibbs.}

100 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• NCAA record: Caeleb Dressel (Florida), 2016- 40.46
• American record: Caeleb Dressel (Florida), 2016- 40.46
• U.S. Open record: Caeleb Dressel (Florida), 2016- 40.46
• 2016 NCAA Champion: Caeleb Dressel (Florida)- 40.46

Top 3:

1. Caeleb Dressel, 40.00
2. Michael Chadwick, 40.95
3. Ryan Held, 41.21

So close, and yet so far.  Caeleb Dressel swam the fastest 100 free we’ve ever seen by 0.46 seconds, touching in exactly 40.00 and coming tantalizingly close to cracking that seemingly impossible barrier.

An incredible field finished behind Dressel, with all eight men once again finishing under 42 seconds.  Leading the way was Missouri senior Michael Chadwick, whose 40.95 now makes him the 4th-fastest ever in the event and was the 6th-fastest performance ever.  NC State junior Ryan Held touched in 41.21, moving up him to 7th-fastest ever in the event.

The rest of the field touched within 0.09 of each other.  USC junior Dylan Carter touched in 41.76, while teammate Santo Condorelli and Longhorn Brett Ringgold tied for 5th with 41.77.  Sam Perry of Stanford and Blake Pieroni of Indiana rounded finished in 41.80 and 41.85 respectively.

It doesn’t look like this event will get any easier next year, as seven of the eight A-finalists are juniors, with Chadwick the only senior.