Dressel proves heir apparent to Phelps
Young American captures record-tying seventh gold, Iron Lady sweeps medleys
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY— Michael Phelps, you have company.
Caeleb Dressel won his seventh gold medal of the world championships Sunday, putting the U.S. team ahead to stay with a solid swim in the 4x100-metre medley relay.
One night after becoming the first swimmer to win three golds in one night at a major international meet, Dressel joined Phelps in another elite club: seven golds at the secondbiggest meet after the Olympics.
Phelps set the record at the 2007 worlds in Melbourne, Australia — a portent of his unprecedented eight golds the following year at the Beijing Olympics.
Dressel matched the feat along the banks of the Danube, emerging as America’s next great swimming star.
The 20-year-old University of Florida student won three individual golds and was part of four winning relay teams.
It was a big night all around for the Americans.
Lilly King set her second individual world record of the meet in the 50 breaststroke, again besting Russian rival Yulia Efimova, then returned as part of the women’s 4x100 medley relay that also broke the world record.
Chase Kalisz completed a sweep of the individual medleys to carry on the tradition of the American dominance, even after Phelps’ retirement and Ryan Lochte not being allowed to compete in Budapest because of his shenanigans at the Rio Olympics.
Kalisz romped to victory in the 400 IM on the heels of his victory in the 200 IM.
The U.S. finished with 18 golds and 38 medals overall — a huge improvement over the 2015 worlds in Kazan (eight golds, 23 medals).
Katinka Hosszu, the Iron Lady, finished off her third consecutive 200400 IM sweep at the championships, to go along with a pair of golds from Brazil last summer.
But this meet will be remembered as Dressel’s coming-out party.
He won the 50 and 100 freestyle, and nearly took down Phelps’ world record in the 100 butterfly. Dressel was a beast on the relays, swimming both the free and fly.
Phelps’ feat still stands supreme since five of his seven golds were in individual events, and he didn’t have the benefit of the mixed relays.
But the comparisons to the winningest athlete in Olympic history are sure to pick up steam heading into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Dressel swam the fly in the final event of the meet, taking over for the third leg with the Americans facing a slight deficit. He surged to the front with a down-and-back time of 49.76 — the only butterfly swimmer to break 50 seconds. Freestyle anchor Nathan Adrian pulled away to win in three minutes, 27.91 seconds. Britain settled for the silver.
To the surprise of no one, Dressel was named the top male swimmer of the meet. The female award when to Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, who capped off her week by winning the 50 free in 23.69 seconds
Sjostrom set two world records in the meet, also getting credit for a record in the100 free when she swam a blistering first leg of the 4x100 free relay. She now holds four world records overall.