Nine-time Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel marked his return to the top of the podium, winning the men's 100-meter freestyle at the USA Swimming Toyota National Championships in Irvine, Calif.
The Green Cove Springs native, the world's leading sprinter for most of the past decade, overcame a quarter-second deficit at the turn and won in 47.70 from lane 6 in the two-length race. Brooks Curry placed second in 47.81 and Patrick Sammon was third in 47.87.
Dressel has competed in three Olympic Games and is still a potential contender to represent the United States at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, when he would be 31 years old. Monday's time was his fastest in the event since the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.
The Clay High School graduate's nine gold
medals place him behind only Michael Phelps in Summer Olympic history.
His achievements include a record seven gold medals at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary; eight medals, six gold, at the 2019 world meet in Gwangju, South Korea; and multiple world and national records in the sprints, including a still-active 100 butterfly world record.
Dressel is scheduled to swim additional freestyle and butterfly events through the conclusion of the national meet on Aug. 1.
Which USA Swimming championship races are on Caeleb Dressel's schedule?
100 free (No. 10, July 28): First place
50 fly (No. 5, July 29)
100 fly (No. 3, July 30)
50 free (No. 6, Aug. 1)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Caeleb Dressel recaptures championship at swimming nationals
