While making an appearance at the Daytona International Speedway, American star Caeleb Dressel affirmed his commitment to swimming through the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Dressel, who just turned 28 on August 16, told reporters that he most likely would look to reduce his event lineup for Los Angeles, with his plan currently being to focus on the 50 freestyle.
“It has always been one of my dreams to compete on American soil at a championship meet,” Dressel said. “So, yes, my eyes are on 2028. I don’t think it’s going to be a full-event lineup. I think maybe just the 50 free, put a little bit more muscle on, don’t have to be in as good a shape. So maybe look forward to just doing the splash-and-dash. That might be a good time for me.”
The statement from Dressel comes just weeks after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which many were theorizing might be his last Olympics. Dressel first competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, winning gold medals as a member of the men’s 4×100 medley and 4×100 freestyle relays. After in international breakout in 2017 that saw him dominate the World Championships, Dressel went on to win 5 gold medals in Tokyo, including individual golds in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 100 freestyle. Despite seemingly being at the top of the world in Tokyo, Dressel’s world suddenly shifted when he pulled out of the 2022 World Championships, citing mental health concerns. Following an 8-month break from swimming and relative silence towards the media, Dressel reemerged in mid-2023 with a new mindset. Only weeks after his return to competition, Dressel competed at the 2023 US National Championship, but failed to qualify for the 2023 World Championships. Despite that, he continued to train and then qualified for the 2024 US Olympic Team, his first international roster in 2 years, making both the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly, also punching spots in the 4×100 freestyle relay and 4×100 medley relay.
In Paris, Dressel didn’t have his best performance indivudually, finishing 6th in the 50 freestyle and failing to advance to the final in the 100 butterfly. However, he won gold medals as a member of the men’s 4×100 free relay and mixed 4×100 medey relay, and added a silver in the men’s 4×100 medley relay. Following his swim in the 100 butterfly, cameras captured Dressel in an emotional embrace with one of the Team USA staff members, leading many to assume that he would be retiring following the Games. However, it now appears that Dressel still has plans for his swimming career.
“Not the exact results I wanted from the games this year, individually, but that’s how the sport goes sometimes,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not your week, but I’m holding my head high. It’s really nice being home. I hope I made my country proud and hope I did my job on relays.”
If Dressel continues on to, and qualifies for Los Angeles, he would be just shy of turning 32 years-old at the start of the Olympic competition. In Paris, breaststroker Nic Fink was the oldest member of the US squad, turning 31 just a few weeks before the Olympic Games. However, there have been many older swimmers who have continued to find success in the 50 freestyle, even this summer. 30-year-old Cameron McEvoy won the 50 freestyle in Paris after shifting his training to only focus on the event. Behind McEvoy, 33-year-old Florent Manaudou won a bronze medal in the event, marking his 4th-straight medal in the event.
Later this week, Dressel will be making an appearance on the SwimSwam podcast to discuss his performances in Paris and his future plans. Is there anything in particular that you want to hear Caeleb talk about? Let us know below.
Finally, finally he’s going to concentrate on that 50free! I think he’ll have that aging LC record by next Summer then. I also think he should blow up the International SCM 50 free and 50 fly races between now and L.A. too while he’s at it. Short course is where he’s truly the phenom.
Didn’t know where to post this but it applies to Dressel so here goes.
My idea for a better schedule. 2 schedules to alternate each Olympics for men/women. I’m just listing finals each days and assuming the same schedule of prelims and semis as currently used
Schedule A
1- 400 & 4MixedMedRel
2- 50 & 2Br
3- 2Fl & 4FrRel
4- 200 & 1Ba
5- 800 & 2IM
6- 1Fl & 8FrRel
7- 4IM & 1Br
8- 100 & 2Ba
9- 1500 & 4MedRel
Schedule B… Read more »
1-4IM & 4MixedMedRel
2- 1500 & 2Ba
3- 100 & 1Br
4- 2IM & 8FrRel
5- 2Fl & 1Ba
Questions for the Dressel interview.
1)Why did he swim the Mixed Medley Relay prelim when he had two more events to swim that day? What was he thinking before and what does he think about that choice in retrospect.
2) If he trains for the 50mFR in 2028, ask him if he is ruling out swimming the 100mFR at Trials for a possible relay spot on the team.
3) What would an ideal training program look like from now to 2028? How many weekly weight workouts, how many swim workouts and what would each look like? We would love to hear his thoughts on an ideal training program for him at this stage of his life where… Read more »
How would he know 4 years out what he’s going to do and what is going to happen? Because we want answers? It doesn’t work that way.
Hopefully this means he focuses on the 50 fly too. He still needs to take Govorov’s WR. Even if it doesn’t become an Olympic event, he could totally take down that WR at Worlds in the next 4 years
Seriously?
USA Swimming needs to overhaul the men’s squad of male swimmers over the age of 25.
I remember people saying this when Biondi and Jaeger kept winning races. Its really easy to get the old guys off the international squad. Just beat those old folks to the wall at Trials each year. Until then they get the spots they earn each time they win.
I agree. I can’t understand the idea of ‘overhaul the mens team’. What and replace them with younger, slower swimmers. Young ones need to force the other off the team.
I generally agree with you. To the victors go the spoils.
However I do think there’s value in examining if younger or older athletes better handle the double taper from Trials to the Olympics, and if it’s shown that one does, how that might impact selection procedures.
30 is the new 25!
Seriously, have the young upstarts in Jack Alexy and Chris Guiliano (sp?) proven they are capable of taking over the mantle? Arguable (dead last in the 100m free, while gassing out in last 50m).
Some 20-something male (and woman) swimmers flame out before hitting 25, as one-hit wonders. Michael Andrew (no individual gold actually)? Ning Zetao (world champ but disrupted his trajectory). Ye Shiwen (double individual Olympics gold but underwhelming since). In contrast, Kyle Chalmers, Flo Manaudou, Cam McEvoy, Nic Finke, Wang Shun et al still have some fight in them to medal (whether individually or in relays) at 30+ or approaching.
The men’s swimming is definitely more competitive in how the wealth… Read more »
Until McEvoy turned his career around you could’ve put him in the flame out early category.
And male swimmers under the age of 25
Please relay to him that many found him to be a class act in how he demonstrated good sportsmanship toward the Chinese swim team in the first to congratulate them on the medley relay, as he broke away from his own team’s celebration. Never made excuses either, while acknowledging the other team’s better performance. (Not much to counter against 45.92, so a silver is an achievement – just as Chalmers was able to snatch that silver for a huge personal win.)
Then at the medals ceremony, he immediately dissuaded the Chinese swim team from sitting on the podium. It’s apparently a custom for the gold medalists to sit on the podium in Asian swim meets to let the other medalists… Read more »
Great comment for a great swimmer.
This is a great move for Dressel. It keeps his stock price high and keeps the sponsorships rolling. He can basically tred water for 3 years then spend a year focusing on the 50. If he’s lucky to make the team the coaches can put him on some prelim relays and potentially win more gold.
Although i hate to admit it because i love watching him swim the 100 fly and 100 free, this is maybe the best decision for him. He’ll be 32(?) in LA. I imagine focusing on the 50 will also give him more time to spend with his kid
Hope he keeps the 100 free in his back pocket for a relay spot though