Caeleb Dressel's plan has yet to suffer any hitch.

The swimmer easily qualified, Wednesday, July 28, for the final of the 100 m, the queen race which will take place on Thursday.

Two days ago, he won his first gold medal in the 4 x 100m final with his fellow American swim team.

Proof that he planned to win many more, he hastened to offer his charm to his teammate Brooks Curry whom he had replaced in the final.

TOKYO - Caeleb Dressel swam the first leg of the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay in lightning-quick time.

He gave the US a lead it never relinquished, and, less than an hour later, he stepped to a podium to receive his first gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics.



Nice toss pic.twitter.com/WQrHHqXMva

- Dr. Jeff Rabinowitz (@ rxjef77) July 26, 2021

At almost 25 years old, the American swimmer intends to leave his mark on the Tokyo Games.

Already twice Olympic gold medalist in relay in 2016 in Rio (4x100m and 4x100m medley), Caeleb Dressel hopes to win a total of six gold medals in Japan: three in individual, over 100m, the queen race, 100m butterfly and 50m, and three in relay (4x100m, 4x100m medley and 4x100m medley mixed).

A marathon that makes him dive into the pool every day.

Only two swimmers have achieved more bountiful harvests in Olympic history.

Michael Phelps of course, with eight coronations in as many races swam in 2008 in Beijing (400m medley, 200m medley, 200m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 200m, 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x100m medley).

And Mark Spitz, with seven in 1972 in Munich (Germany), over 100m, 200m, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly and three relays (4x100m, 4x200m and 4x100m medley).

This is not just any #TokyoOlympics schedule.



This is Caeleb Dressel's Olympic schedule.

🤯 @ TeamUSA x #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/VxCQjhV1GS

- #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2021

"He really kicked my ass"

For four years, Caeleb Dressel has proven that he is made of the same fabric as his predecessors. At the 2017 Worlds in Budapest, those of his explosion, the Floridian offered himself seven gold medals, equaling the record of Phelps in one edition, established ten years earlier. To those of Gwangju (South Korea) in 2019, he stopped at six, but collected eight medals in total, never seen before at the Worlds. He also seized a first world record by dispossessing Phelps of that of the 100 m butterfly and signed the two best times in history outside of combinations, over 50 m (21.04) and 100 m (46.96, first under 47 sec in fabric).

Even this is inevitable, Caeleb Dressel doesn't like to be compared to Michael Phelps. His idols are rather to be sought outside the pools. He readily quotes Bo Jackson, a professional baseball and American football player. "He was a pure athlete. He didn't limit himself. That's what I like about him," he explained in a 2013 interview with USA Today. "I also think of Mohammed Ali. I watch his videos on YouTube all the time. He knew he was not going to lose and he had to express it."

References that allow the young champion to dominate world swimming today. From the height of his 1 m 90 and with his 89 kilos, he shows undeniable athletic qualities and crushes the competition. "There are no words to describe how fast he is (…). He really kicked my butt, I can't say it any other way. More than the lap times, I'm impressed by his ability to to continue the events ", summed up in 2017 during the Worlds the Singaporean Joseph Schooling, reigning Olympic champion of the 100 m butterfly.

The American champion, who started swimming at age five, is considered a complete athlete.

He also played other sports including American football and football.

"It's important for young swimmers to try other disciplines," he explained in an interview for one of his sponsors.

"I never meant to limit myself. No matter what you choose to do or no matter what you're good at, you just have to have fun doing it."

"He's a good guy"

Caeleb Dressel kept these principles in mind. Even if, with his perfect body and his angelic face, he has become a superstar with many advertising contracts, he has the reputation of having kept his head on his shoulders. He leads a life without glitter close to nature. He married his high school sweetheart, Meghan, last February and is regularly pictured with his many animals. "He's a super simple guy," Florent Manaudou, one of his rivals in the 50-meter freestyle, described for RMC Sport. I used to always have something to dislike about my competitors, for example with Cesar Cielo who exasperated me. At Caeleb, there is none of that, he is really respectful and suddenly, it's much more complicated. He's a good guy, an ultra respectful swimmer,very talented and very complete. "

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A post shared by Caeleb Dressel (@caelebdressel)

Before a race, he also always appears with a blue bandana in his hand.

This belonged to his former teacher and mentor Claire McCool, who died of cancer in 2017. "It is the most precious object I have," the champion told Swimming World Magazine.

"It's important to have her with me in this physical form to the studs. She's with me every race until the end of my career."

With this lucky star above the pool, Caeleb Dressel will try to win his bet.

If he clearly dominates the world records of the season on 50 m (21.04) and 100 m butterfly (49.76, in front of the Hungarian Milak), on 100 m (47.39), he will however have to keep an eye on the young Romanian David Popovici (47.30), the Russian Kliment Kolesnikov (47.31), and the outgoing champion, the Australian Kyle Chalmers.

The American will be mostly focused on himself.

As he told the newspaper L'Équipe, his strength lies in his dissatisfaction: "It may be a cliché, but I hate to stand still. I always want to move forward. My biggest fear is to level off. And the harder it is, the more I learn. "

With AFP

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