Dressel caps drive for five golds

TOKYO — Make it five for Caeleb Dressel.

The American swimmer won his fifth gold medal of the Tokyo Games, finishing off one of the great performances in Olympic history. He joins an elite club of just four other swimmers with at least five gold medals at one Games.

Dressel swam the butterfly leg as the U.S. set a world record in the 4x100-meter medley 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 rubberized suits.

Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew and Zach Apple joined Dressel on the winning team, ensuring the Americans closed out the swimming competition with another gold in a race they’ve never lost at the Olympics.

Earlier in the session, Dressel won the 50 freestyle for his third individual title of the Games. He also won two golds in 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 gold and three bronze.

Mirroring Dressel’s final day, McKeon won the 50 free and took the butterfly leg on the Aussies’ winning 4x100 medley relay team on the women’s side.

The 27-year-old from Brisbane becomes 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.

Capping a brilliant performance by the entire Aussie women’s team, McKeon followed her victory in the 50 free earlier in the session to take the butterfly leg on the relay. Cate Campbell closed strong on the freestyle leg, touching in an Olympic record of 3 minutes, 51.60 seconds to edge the two-time defending champion Americans.

Kaylee McKeown and Chelsea Hodges started things off for the winning Australian team.

Abbey Weitzeil touched in 3:51.73 to give the United States a silver. She anchored a team that also included teenagers Regan Smith, Lydia Jacoby and Torri Huske.

The bronze went to Canada in 3:52.60.

Jae C. Hong The Associated Press Caeleb Dressel of the U.S. celebrates winning the men’s 50-meter freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics, the fourth of his five gold medals.