Clay High School graduate Caeleb Dressel earned his second victory of the week, winning the concluding men’s 50-meter freestyle at the USA Swimming Toyota National Championships in Irvine, Calif.
The nine-time Olympic gold medalist left no doubt in the sport’s fastest event, touching the wall in 21.35 seconds. Quintin McCarty placed second in 21.75, followed by Nikita Sheremet in 21.76.
While Dressel didn’t surpass his own American record of 21.04, which he set in 2021 in Omaha, Neb., he closed an excellent week in the pool and recorded his fastest mark since 2022. Only two swimmers in the world have gone faster in 2026.
Now 29, Dressel completed the meet with first-place finishes in the 50 and 100 free as well as runner-up spots in the 50 and 100 butterfly, both times behind Ilya Kharun.
Dressel won two gold medals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, five (three of them individual) in 2021 in Tokyo and two in 2024 in Paris.
He also holds 15 long-course world championship gold medals, and could potentially represent the United States at the Olympics for a fourth time in Los Angeles in 2028.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Caeleb Dressel dominates USA Swimming final for second win this week
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
