The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dressel reluctant superstar heading to 2020 Olympics
In the post-Michael Phelps world, Caeleb Dressel fits snugly into the successor’s slot. Coming off two dynamic performances at the world swimming championships, he figures to be one of the biggest stars at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Yet he is reluctant to step into the spotlight. He puts up his guard when it comes to his personal life. He really has no desire to be compared to the winningest athlete in Olympic history.
“I don’t want to say I just brush it off, because I know it’s going to be inevitable,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But that’s not why I’m in this sport . ... It’s not to beat Michael. It’s not to go faster than Michael.”
Sitting across the table from Dressel at a bustling sandwich shop near Emory University, it doesn’t take long to recognize that he runs a bit deeper than many athletes. “A thinker” is how his coach, Gregg Troy, describes him.
Dressel is an avid reader. His infrequent posts on social media are often quoted from whatever book has his attention at the moment.
“I can get the physical exercise done with practice and staying in shape,” he said. “But you’ve got to sharpen the mental side. I like to learn.”
At the 2017 FINA world championships in Budapest, Dressel joined Phelps and Mark Spitz as the only swimmers to win seven gold medals at a major international meet. This summer in South Korea, Dressel picked off six golds and two silvers — making him and Phelps the only swimmers to claim eight medals at either the Olympics or the worlds. Most impressively, Dressel won three titles in a single night.
“He’s such a dynamic swimmer,“said Bob Bowman, who was Phelps’ coach throughout his career and now leads the swimming program at Arizona State. “The way he jumps off the block. The race is over when he hits the water. He’s so strong. I think of power when I see him swim.”
Now, as Tokyo approaches, Dressel is 23 — the same age as Phelps heading into the 2008 Summer Games. But Dressel quickly shoots down any thought of making a run at Phelps’ most iconic record — those eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.
Two of Dressel’s eight events in Gwangju (50-meter butterfly and 4x100 freestyle relay) aren’t on the Olympic program. He’s pondering whether to swim the 200 free at the U.S. trials, in hopes of putting up a time that would earn consideration for a spot on the 4x200 free relay. But it looks like seven events is the absolute ceiling he’ll consider for Tokyo.
Dressel shrugs off speculation that he might attempt the 200 individual medley, saying it just doesn’t work out schedule-wise. So Phelps’ record is safe.
Not that it’s ever been on Dressel’s radar.
“It’s not about Michael for me,” he said. “It never has been.”
When Dressel is required to do a whirlwind promotional tour on behalf of a sponsor, like the one last month for Toyota ahead of the U.S. winter nationals in Atlanta, it’s very apparent he would rather be somewhere else.
“I don’t know if you’ll really get to know me unless you’re close to me,” he said. “If it was up to me, it would be me, coach Troy and the water.”