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At just 22-years-old, Caeleb Dressel can say that he’s beaten Michael Phelps.
Dressel Dominates
The World Swimming Championships wrapped up Sunday in South Korea. The event is the second most prominent swim meet on the planet, behind the Olympics.
Dressel won eight medals at the competition. He claimed six golds, including three in one night, in a historic performance that set the record for most medals at a single world championships.
The previous benchmark was seven, originally set by Michael Phelps in 2007.
No man in history has won eight medals at a single world championships
… until @caelebdressel. #FINAGwangju2019 pic.twitter.com/dshVkJ2HCw
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 28, 2019
Four of Dressel’s golds came in individual events: the 50 meter butterfly, the 100 meter butterfly, the 50 meter freestyle and 100 meter freestyle. The 100 meter butterfly was the most notable performance. He set a world record of 49.5 seconds in the semifinals. Again, the previous record holder was Michael Phelps.
Dressel was named best male swimmer at the meet, in which the US took home 14 golds, the most of any team.
Dressel tied Phelps’ medal record at the 2017 world championships in Hungary, but his dominant showing in South Korea was good enough to set the new standard.
This is the final major swimming event until the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
A Gator Foundation
Dressel is only one year removed from graduating from the University of Florida. He is the most decorated swimmer in school history, having won ten individual SEC championships.
He won three SEC Male Swimmer of the Year awards and helped Florida win four straight SEC titles in his tenure at the school from 2015-2019.
While he was a student, he competed at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. He won two gold medals, coming first place in the 4 x 100 freestyle and 4 x 100 medley relay.
