Dressel sets world record in 100 fly
Caeleb Dressel added a world record to his growing medal haul. But his bid to win six gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics was over before he even dove into the pool for the new 4x100meter mixed medley relay Saturday.
The Americans were too far behind when their top swimmer took over. The best Dressel could do was rally the U.S. to a fifthplace finish in the race that features two men and two women on each team. Britain set a world record to win the gold.
However, Dressel set a world record while winning his third gold of the games in the 100 butterfly. Dressel led right from the start in the fly and held off Hungary’s Kristof Milak to touch in 49.45 seconds, breaking the mark of 49.50 that the American set at the 2019 world championships.
The Australian women did claim another gold. Kaylee McKeown completed a sweep of the backstroke events with a victory in the 200 back. Her winning time was 2:04.68.
Dressel will take part in two more finals Sunday, the last day of the swimming competition at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Baseball: The United States started a pitcher who was Tampa Bay’s No. 12 prospect before he was dealt to Minnesota last week in the Nelson Cruz trade. Israel went with a 30yearold who has never pitched above DoubleA and brought in the director of music programming at New York’s City Winery to relieve.
San Anselmo’s Joe Ryan allowed five hits over six innings in his first outing since he was swapped, and speedskating silver medalist Eddy Alvarez and Tyler Austin powered the offense to lead the United States over Israel 81 in the Americans’ opener.
Ryan, a 25yearold TripleA righthander who pitched at Drake High, relied on a 92mph fastball. He gave up one run and struck out three.
“He’s got really great stuff,” said former major leaguer Danny Valencia, who homered on a fastball in the fourth inning. “I think the Twins are going be really pleased with him. I think that he’s going to be one of their better pitchers for a lot of years to come.”
Righthander Joey Wagman (01) started for Israel and gave up three runs and four hits in three innings. Israel dropped to 02 in Group B of its Olympic baseball debut. Israel brought in 42year righthander Shlomo Lipetz to relieve in the sixth inning as its fifth pitcher. He’ll go back to City Winery after the Olympics.
Alvarez, who earned a 2014 medal in short track speedskating, is now a Miami Marlins’ TripleA player and was a flag bearer during last week’s opening ceremony. He looped a hanging curve off the end of his bat into short left field in the threerun third at empty Yokohama Stadium.
Austin, a former Giants outfielder/first baseman, is in his second season with the Central League’s Yokohama BayStars and got to be in his home clubhouse on the firstbase side. He followed Alvarez by driving a high fastball on the next pitch over the rightcenter field wall for a 30 lead and added a pair of RBI doubles.
Elsewhere, former Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera hit a runscoring single with two outs in the fifth and Jose Bautista threw out the potential tying run at home plate as the Dominican Republic beat Mexico 10. Basketball: A’ja Wilson scored 20 points and Breanna Stewart added 15 to help the U.S. beat Japan 8669 in the women’s tournament. The U.S. has now won 51 consecutive games going back to the bronzemedal game in the 1992 Olympics, although the team has looked far from sharp in its first two games at the Saitama Super Arena. BMX racing: American Connor Fields was awake, stable and awaiting further medical evaluation at the hospital after a violent crash on the first lap of his qualifying heat. The reigning gold medalist slammed into the turn coming off a jump and was hit by two other riders.
Medical personnel raced onto the course to attend to him before carrying him away on a stretcher to an ambulance at Ariake Urban Sports Park. The 28yearold qualified for the finals despite the crash but was not able to race.