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Caeleb Dressel Explains How His Mindset Has Changed as He’s Aged in Swimming

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

After qualifying for his first individual event for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Caeleb Dressel spoke candidly with the media about his place in swimming. Dressel admits that when he was younger, his mindset was to stay dominant for as long as he could. Now seeing younger swimmers going times that Dressel was swimming earlier in his career, Dressel can’t help but be happy for them and do whatever he can to aid in their success.

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Italian fan
4 months ago

Partially unrelated, but I think as an athlete he was robbed by Covid more than most. I think had the Olympics happened in 2020 he would have set a WR in the 100 free.

Blastman
4 months ago

Why has Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano’s incredible Trials meet not drawn more attention? Not since Matt Biondi in 1988 has a swimmer qualified for his country in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles. I would love to see him earn six medals in Paris: all his qualified events plus the two free relays, the medley and possibly a seventh in the mixed medley. If he pulls that off, he could be a shoe-in for the Sullivan Award. I feel like his trials performance is where legends begin.
His stage is set; watch what this man does in Paris.

Hank
Reply to  Blastman
4 months ago

Maybe because he probably is not going to even medal in Paris except on the USA relays. Dressel likely medal 50free and 100fly plus relay.

Last edited 4 months ago by Hank
Becky D
Reply to  Blastman
4 months ago

Give it a minute. The NBC sports hype machine needs a chance to do its work.

Hopefully Chris doesn’t get ground up like Caeleb did.

COWARD DRUGESSEL
4 months ago

McEvoy will beat him so hard.lol

EXCALIBUR
Reply to  COWARD DRUGESSEL
4 months ago

only in your wildest dreams which are on the opposite side of reality 😆

Mean Dean
4 months ago

He’s an amazing figurehead for USA swimming to have. Can’t wait to see what he shows us

Huak Tuah
4 months ago

Here’s the thing.

Michael Andrew is a fantastic swimmer.
He has aspirations and he’s achieved great things. This is what you need to succeed.
He’s a got a supportive and loving family around him and good perspective. He’ll be sad for a moment but he will be ok. Swimmer or retiree, it doesn’t matter as much as everyone on here thinks. He’s been to the Olympics, he’s won a gold. Life goes on and it’s bigger than swimming.

Colorado swammer
Reply to  Huak Tuah
4 months ago

This article has nothing to do with MA

anonymous
Reply to  Huak Tuah
4 months ago

MA has a great group of friends and a life outside of the sport. It takes time to develop this aspect of life but I think it will serve him well in the long run. Every Olympic Trials great swimmers dont make the team.

Hank
Reply to  anonymous
4 months ago

MA is not made for the Olympic format at least with the kind of training he has done this quad. His strength is stroke 50s. If he focuses on that he can continue to medal at WCs and World Cups and Pro series and Mare Nostrum, etc… in the 50fly, back and breast. If he changes his training habits , maybe he can develop into an Olympic swimmer for LA.

Last edited 4 months ago by Hank
EXCALIBUR
Reply to  Huak Tuah
4 months ago

wrong thread

Facts
4 months ago

If Dressel wins some more individual golds over the summer we might need to start having some conversations about placing him over Lochte on the all time list

Mr Piano
Reply to  Facts
4 months ago

I think he’s already there. He has more individual Olympic gold medals than Lochte, and has as many individual world titles too, at least in LCM.

But who cares, all that matters is that he’s back and he’s happy.

Last edited 4 months ago by Mr Piano
Swammer11
Reply to  Mr Piano
4 months ago

Lochte would have had a lot more medals except he had the misfortune of his career lining up with Phelps. Shift him forward or back a few years, and he would have been dominant.

Last edited 4 months ago by Swammer11
Mr Piano
Reply to  Swammer11
4 months ago

Lochte also got beat by Cseh, Irie, Piersol, Clary, Angel, Park, Sun, etc. It’s not like Phelps was the only one in his way.

And if you wanna play the shifting game, we could do that with Dressel too, who btw proved himself against people like Milak in butterfly and Chalmers in the blue ribbon event.

Not trying to take anything away from RL. I just think CD is that good.

uwk
Reply to  Facts
4 months ago

Lochte is the fourth best swimmer since Spitz to me. Dressel is currently 6th for me but like you said a few more individual golds and that could change

anonymous
Reply to  Facts
4 months ago

Caleb Dressel abandoned the team during WC. Something Lochre would never have done.

Antipodean
Reply to  anonymous
4 months ago

Lochte just let the team down with his robbery nonsense etc etc. Dressel dealt with stress in a far healthier way, by removing himself from the scene so that he could rest and the team could get on with their swims. That’s brave, if you ask me.

Anne Ludlow
Reply to  anonymous
4 months ago

You really don’t understand mental health, do you?

DK99
4 months ago

Did that woman win a competition to be there? Lol

Kyle Accornero
Reply to  DK99
4 months ago

Swam with her in college. What’s up Devonie? Pretty sure she works with USAS.

HeatFan14
4 months ago

I don’t think a single person expects best times or records from Caeleb. He’s shown so much growth that’s so inspiring. The loudest I heard the crowd this week was when Caeleb came out.

Facts
Reply to  HeatFan14
4 months ago

I think it helps that he is not the heavy favorite in anything like he was in 2021 so there is way less pressure on him which prob alleviates a lot of stress for him. He gets to swim free being the hunter rather than the hunted

Mrs. Tarquin Biscuitbarrel
Reply to  Facts
4 months ago

In Rio, there were two veterans and two kids on the 4×100. Ryan Held sobbed uncontrollably on the podium, and was comforted in a fatherly fashion by new father Michael Phelps.

“The kid couldn’t stop crying” said Caeleb. Not in a mean way—but he and Ryan are the same age. Watching Caeleb with his son made me marvel at his progress. Jack Spitser’s family-album photos are so marvelous

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