WATCH: Caeleb Dressel Swim 4th-Fastest 100 Fly in History in Prelims

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

On Friday morning, while most of his American fans slept, Caeleb Dressel put in a 50.08 in prelims of the 100 meter butterfly. That’s the 4th-best performance in history and makes him the 3rd-best performer in history behind only Michael Phelps and Milorad Cavic’s swims from the 2009 World Championships.

Below, see a video of the race, presented by EuroSport UK. The video also includes James Guy‘s British Record in the 100 fly, and is viewable only to users in the UK (other nations’ media, including NBC Sports and the CBC, have not been posting prelims videos all week).

As reported by James Sutherland:

Everyone thought the 50 free / 100 fly double would be a tough one for Caeleb Dressel. While the prelims may well be the session where he has the biggest buffer between the two, he showed us this morning that we can all eat our words.

After a steady 21.61 50 free to qualify 2nd overall, Dressel was in the water about 34 minutes later to swim the first of three 100 fly circle-seeded heats. That was all Dressel needed to swim the fastest textile 100 fly in history, and move into #3 on the all-time lists in 50.08.

That swim blows past Joseph Schooling‘s previous textile WR of 50.39, done when he won the Olympic gold last summer, as well as Ian Crocker‘s epic 50.40 done way back in 2005.

He’s now 3rd on the all-time list behind Michael Phelps and Milorad Cavic, who both had that epic 2009 showdown when they both went sub-50 seconds in 49.82 and 49.95.

Winning individual gold in both doesn’t seem like a stretch at all at this point. He qualified 1st in the prelims by 1.01 seconds. Schooling was back, 4th overall in 51.21.

TOP 5 ALL-TIME TOP PERFORMERS – MEN’S 100 FLY

1 MICHAEL PHELPS 49.82
2 Milorad Cavic 49.95
3 Caeleb Dressel 50.08
4 Joseph Schooling 50.39
5 Ian Crocker 50.40

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PVK
6 years ago

Video won’t play :-(((((

Arm Floaties form...... Voltran
6 years ago

With the 100 fly, 100 free dominance, Dressel is essentially Biondi 2.0.

DRUKSTOP
6 years ago

I think what’s scary is that he only did 2 stokes no breath at the end.

Horninco
Reply to  DRUKSTOP
6 years ago

Exactly. Remember the last 15 meters of the 100 free where it looked like he got a push off an invisible wall?

Justin Thompson
6 years ago

Schooling is in a new position on the international stage where he’s the favorite, but has to be a bit concerned after seeing that race. We’ll see what he has tonight and tomorrow. I don’t think Joe is in top form like Caleb is.

Jason
6 years ago

Maybe put that’s it’s a UK version only in the headline?? So people aren’t excited to see a video and open the article and then bamm they see it’s only for select viewership

Coach Broseph
Reply to  Braden Keith
6 years ago

#Told – Its true VPN is pretty easy to find now-a-days. With governments wanting to censor the internet more over the coming years, they will become even more plentiful I assure you!

swimmer!
Reply to  Braden Keith
6 years ago

“Most”? I really doubt most of the readers know how to. Also, a title like “Watch Caeleb Dressel go 50.08 100 Fly (UK viewers) or something to that liking would be a better title. Yeah, you leave out “4th fastest in history”, but I would say more of the readers here know where a 50.08 stacks up in history than know how to do geoblocking.

BSD
6 years ago

https://instagram.com/p/BXFZruzjP99/
Link to a working video, you’re all welcome.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  BSD
6 years ago

thanks bro – thats a decent footage of the race !! Dressel had one bodylenght of advantage in the last 10 meters !

Zanna
Reply to  BSD
6 years ago

Awesome!

Jon Nap
Reply to  BSD
6 years ago

Much, much appreciated!

Steve Nolan
Reply to  BSD
6 years ago

The reports of his turn and finish being fairly long were not exaggerated. Ho boy.

Horninco
Reply to  Steve Nolan
6 years ago

No they were not. That looked like easy speed and even he looked shocked by the time

Leto
Reply to  BSD
6 years ago

Thank you! American sports media has no clue what a race that was!

NONA
Reply to  BSD
6 years ago

I like at the last second of the video you see Dressel look at the board and mouth, “Whoa”

Horninco
Reply to  NONA
6 years ago

Always good to see swimmers surprise themselves, even at this level

BKP
6 years ago

Eurosport clip that only shows the last portion of the race which you can watch in the US
http://video.eurosport.com/swimming/world-championships/2017/caeleb-dressel-produces-powerhouse-butterfly-in-budapest_vid993770/video.shtm

Horninco
6 years ago

This video only shows Guy’s prelim swim, FYI

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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