Swimming, Dressel’s crisis: after two flops, in the final only as a fish

The incredible evolution of the greatest swimming champion after Michael Phelps: Caeleb Dressel. One race from the end of the American Trials in Indianapolis, the 50m freestyle, the winner of 5 Olympic gold medals in Tokyo (7 in total, with 21 world titles between long and short courses), is not yet qualified for the World Championships in July Fukuoka, Japan. Because he was “only” 29th (eliminated in heat) in the 100m freestyle of which he is Olympic champion and double world champion: exclusion which automatically entails losing one’s place in the 4x100m freestyle; because he was “only” third in the 50m butterfly of which he is the outgoing world champion (the specialty is not an Olympic one); because he was “only” the first of those excluded from the batteries of the 100m butterfly of which he is Olympic champion, record holder and double world champion in 2017 and 2019. Today he was left in ninth place in the preliminary round by 11 cents by the unknown Luke Miller, born in 2002. Thanks to Ryan Murphy who withdrew from the final A, he avoided ending up in the consolation final. After a 51 ”95 he doesn’t seem fit and it will be difficult (in the Italian night) that he can suddenly turn the tables on him even if nothing is impossible for us. Then he would only have the 50 sl on Saturday: in or out. Like the ruthless mechanism of Trials. Not participating in the World Cup, not returning to the Japan that gave him Olympic glory, would be a heavy wave to bear.

Doubts

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But what is happening to Dressel? After Japan, he left coach Greg Troy to entrust himself to Anthony Nesty, the first black Olympian from Suriname who created a large elite group (including Katie Ledecky). But it is certainly not the coach’s fault that he is no longer the same Dressel, he is proving to be vulnerable. He got lost in the water maybe because he got lost out there. He did not want to speak to the press, something unusual on the edge of the pool in the USA. The very religious, married 26-year-old from Florida mysteriously left the sport on a long hiatus and only returned to competition last month at a minor meet in Atlanta. Clearly, Dressel has plenty of time to regain the form that made him successor to Michael Phelps as the world’s most dominant swimmer. but no one imagined an uphill path for him to find a place in the powerful US team. Dressel, like breaststroke Olympian Britain’s Adam Peaty, has had to deal with mental health issues, no doubt more focused on getting back to top form in time for next summer’s Paris Olympics, though he hasn’t publicly disclosed the its plans or objectives. Dressel’s coach Anthony Nesty acknowledged in an AP interview last week that he wasn’t sure how the swimmer would fare in a major event after a long run. “I think he came back full of energy. He kept himself busy. Did he do a weekly training cycle? No. But I think he still did some solo swimming, some solo weights. At that point, you kind of let them do their thing. At first we started with a very light workload. He didn’t charge until week 10”. Nesty said it was important for Dressel to step away from the sport. The swimmer had previously discussed the pressure and mental health issues he was facing ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, which included panic attacks and depression. “I think he needed it,” Nesty said. “At that point, all you can do is support your athlete. He has a good group of people who care and support him. Obviously, I’m happy that he’s back in the sport. He belongs to that world ”.

Social and silences

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Dressel provided the only public update on her status in an Instagram post last September. “I haven’t swum in a world and I can honestly say I’ve been happy without swimming. I really miss it though. I know that I can have swimming and happiness. I’ve had both at some point in my life and am working on it. If you need a break, take one. I’ll be back”. For now he has returned not fast enough, to the point of still being out of the team.