Dressel wins, but Manuel fails to advance in trials stunner

OMAHA, NEB.» Caeleb Dressel locked up his spot for Tokyo, where he’s expected to be one of the biggest stars in the Olympic pool.

Simone Manuel got left behind.

In the biggest surprise yet at the U.S. swimming trials, the defending Olympic women’s champion in the 100-meter freestyle stunningly failed to advance from the semifinals Thursday night.

Manuel, who tied for the gold at the Rio Olympics to become the first Black female ever to win an individual swimming event, finished fourth in the first semifinal heat at 54.17 seconds.

She just missed a spot in Friday night’s final when five swimmers went faster in the second semifinal heat.

Erika Brown took the eighth spot in 54.15 — twohundredths faster than Manuel, who revealed that she was diagnosed in March with overtraining syndrome and had to totally shut down for three weeks.

“I’m an Olympic champion,” a tearful Manuel said, seeking solace in her 2016 accomplishments. “It’s still a tough pill to swallow.”

There were no such concerns for Dressel, who romped to victory in the men’s 100 free in 47.39.

He finally got a chance to shine on Day 5 of the trials after a long week of waiting. When Dressel saw a “1” beside his name, he hopped on the lane rope, splashed the water and pumped his arms to whip up the crowd.

“It’s a huge weight off my shoulders,” Dressel said. “I’m excited to get the job done and move forward.”

In the wake of Michael Phelps’ retirement, Dressel has emerged as the next big thing in men’s swimming. After winning two golds medals at the 2016 Rio Games, he shined at the last two world championships.