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Caeleb Dressel on Breakthrough 200 Free Win: “I always baby it”

2021 PRO SWIM SERIES – MISSION VIEJO (#3)

Reported by Karl Ortegon.

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINALS

  • Pro Swim Record: 1:44.82 Sun Yang
  • Trials Wave II: 1:49.65
  • Trials Wave I: 1:50.79

Top 3

  1. Caeleb Dressel – 1:47.57
  2. Andrew Seliskar – 1:47.69
  3. Khader Baqlah – 1:47.93

Cal Aquatics’ Andrew Seliskar was on a mission early, going out in 51.92 to lead at the half-way mark. Caeleb Dressel of Gator Swim Club threw down a 27.1 third 50, though, and he finished with a 27.6 to take the win at 1:47.57. Seliskar was just behind at 1:47.69.

Dressel’s club teammate Khader Baqlah also broke 1:48, going 1:47.93 for third.

Cristian Quintero was 1:49.69 to win the B-final for Irvine NOVAquatics, ahead of rising Stanford sophomore Luke Maurer in his first time under 1:50 at 1:49.75. Dynamo’s Jay Litherland was third in 1:49.96. Ryan Lochte, who was scratched into this B-final, gained two seconds and finished eighth in a lackluster 1:53.95.

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cameron
3 years ago

what does babying it mean @caleb dressel??????plz lmk

Damian
Reply to  cameron
3 years ago

I think he meant that he was swimming the 200 free too cautiously

ZYG
3 years ago

I’m throwing up.

W_P_1
3 years ago

Did anybody else think the coloring of his tattoos looked off? And his right forearm where he has the rings looked swollen?

ZanBai
Reply to  W_P_1
3 years ago

He obviously put some protection cream on it.

Penguin
Reply to  ZanBai
3 years ago

ObVIoUSlY you aren’t tatted. No one wears tattoo “protection cream” unless you literally just got a tattoo (in which case, you’d need 2 weeks out of the pool). Either he’s wearing sunscreen to slow the fading, or aquaphor if he worries the chlorine will affect them (it won’t).

Last edited 3 years ago by Penguin
Dudeman
Reply to  Penguin
3 years ago

It’s clearly sunscreen… and he’s said before he loads up his arm with it whenever he trains/competes outside.

Penguin
Reply to  Dudeman
3 years ago

Yup

Last edited 3 years ago by Penguin
Penguin
3 years ago

CD has gotta be one of the most genuine, composed, polite, and humble male superstar swimmers the US has had in a while. Look no disrespect to any of the others, but he is remarkably uncontroversial and has a pretty clean record on gaffes.

Torchbearer
Reply to  Penguin
3 years ago

Dressel and Chalmers are gentlemen giants of the sport…..great to see!

Last edited 3 years ago by Torchbearer
Penguin
Reply to  Penguin
3 years ago

Honestly split between wanting more Dressels and wanting more trash talking.

FST
Reply to  Penguin
3 years ago

Totally with you. It’d be so much fun if there was some edge to… well, anything in swimming other than the doping controversies.

PVSFree
Reply to  Penguin
3 years ago

We can have both! We can have the “we’ll smash them like guitars,” the Le Clos shadowboxing, and the King/Efimova beef in certain events and then gentlemen/women in other events

sven
Reply to  Penguin
3 years ago

Nathan Adrian. I know he’s no Lochte or Phelps… He’s pretty much a two trick pony, but in terms of the qualities you listed, he stands out in my mind as a fantastic ambassador for the sport. Just listening to him talk about how he approaches goals and training is enough to tell me how he’s been so consistent in the past 10 years.

A C
3 years ago

Looks like Lochte totally dogged the last 50. He swam 32.19. That’s 2.5 seconds slower than the prelims.

Irish Ringer
Reply to  A C
3 years ago

Wonder if it was something other than that? What’s the point of racing it if you are going to coast home like that?

Penguin
Reply to  A C
3 years ago

Look we all have bad swims, and I do like Lochte, but I just think this is funny

Anton Chupkov 200 breast: 29.73 32.49 32.01 31.89

Penguin
Reply to  Penguin
3 years ago

KL slowest split in a mile: 31.39

Penguin
Reply to  Penguin
3 years ago

But alas, Penguin wishes they could swim a 1:53 LCM 200 free 🙁

Last edited 3 years ago by Penguin
Mr Piano
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
3 years ago

Yea he probably cramped up or just died from taking it out a second too fast

MIKE IN DALLAS
Reply to  A C
3 years ago

You gotta want it, or it’s just not going to happen.
Lochte has had a number of nice swims in season, but when
push comes to shove, I’ll bet he doesn’t make TEAM USA
in any individual event, except a relay. Sad end to a great career.

Lord farquad
Reply to  MIKE IN DALLAS
3 years ago

He went 157 in a 200im as a fat guy. He can definitely go 155 and make the team

Jabroni Pepperoni
3 years ago

I wonder how the mixed relays will play into this. Obviously he’d be the top pick for those, but would he prioritize those over the 8 free, where he’s not as much of a sure thing, but it is more of a “legit” Olympic event?

Comet
Reply to  Jabroni Pepperoni
3 years ago

There is no mixed free relay just a mixed medley where Caleb will most likely swim the fly.

Admin
Reply to  Jabroni Pepperoni
3 years ago

Each individual will have their own Olympic goals and motivating factors. But…in 10 years, when he retires nobody’s going to say “Caeleb Dressel won 14 Olympic gold medals, but 2 of them are mixed relays.” His sponsors certainly aren’t going to say that. It will be a topic in the moment, but will fade as the conversations turn to ‘legacy.’

Based on his recent interviews/commentary, though, I think the conversation might be moot – he doesn’t seem to have fear of going after both events.

Ragnar
Reply to  Braden Keith
3 years ago

Its taken me years to agree, but the mixed relays are no less “legit” over all than the 50 free must have been considered by purists in 1988, and one could argue that Spitz in 1972 would’ve won 8 plus with those additional two events. Bottom line that greats are going to give their all at whatever they set out on doing, and the legacy can be discussed by people out of the arena.

Lpman
3 years ago

No reason he should not be sub 1:45 come trials and earn an individual 200 free. I would scratch individual and focus on his other individuals/relays

monsterbasher
3 years ago

Go out 48 in your 2 free at trials.

Pvdh
Reply to  monsterbasher
3 years ago

For science caeleb

Dudeman
Reply to  Pvdh
3 years ago

We need to get Townley to go out in 1:47 in the 400 free for science too

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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