Dressel keeps the gold flowing for USA in pool
Sets Olympic record in 50, then gets fifth
Make it five for Caeleb Dressel. The American star wonhis fifth gold medal of the Tokyo Games, finishing off oneof the great performances in Olympic history. He joins an elite club of just four other swimmers ever with at least five gold medals at one Olympics.
Dressel swam the butterfly leg as the Americans set a world record in the 4x100-metermedley relay with a time of 3 minutes, 26.78 seconds — eclipsing the mark of 3:27.28 they set at the 2009 Rome world championships in rubberizedsuits.
RyanMurphy, Michael Andrew and Zach Apple joined Dressel on the winning team, ensuring the Americans closedout the swimming competition with another gold in a race they’ve never lost at the Olympics.
Earlier in the session, Dressel won the 50-meter freestyle for his third individual title of the Games. He also won two goldson the relays.
Dressel starred at the pool with Australia’s Emma McKeon, who won two more golds Sunday to push her overall total to seven — four goldand three bronze.
Mirroring Dressel’s final day, McKeon won the 50-meter freestyle and took the butterfly leg on the Aussies’ winning 4x100 medley relay team onthe women’s side.
McKeonbecame the first female swimmer to win seven medals at a single Games. The only men to do it are Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Matt Biondi.
Dressel won his fourth gold medal with a victory in the 50meter freestyle. Dressel cruised to a relatively easy win in the frenetic dash from one end of the pool to the other, touching in an Olympic recordof 21.07 seconds.
When the 24-year-old Floridian saw his time and, more important, the “1” beside his name, he splashed the water andflexed his bulging arms.
Afew minutes after Dressel climbed from the pool, McKeon completed her own freestyle sweep. She touched in 23.81 seconds to take the women’s 50 free, adding to her victoryin the 100.
In keeping with the theme ofthe day, Bobby Finke pulled off his own sweep in the two longestfreestyle races.
With another strong finishing kick, Finke became the first American man in 37 years to win the 1,500 freestyle. He added to his victory in the 800 free, a new men’s eventat the Olympics.
In the men’s 50, France’s Florent Manaudou finished behind Dressel to repeat as the Olympic silver medalist in 21.55, while Brazil’s Bruno Fratus claimed the bronze in 21.57 — edging American Michael Andrew for the final spot on the podium.
In the ready room shortly before the race, Dressel paced back and forth anxiously while most of the other swimmers relaxed in their chairs.
Then, he was cool as can be in swimming’s most furious lap. Popping up from the water with the lead, as is always the case with his impeccable underwater technique, Dressel was clearly in front all the way in a race that is often too close to call.