Tough Day at the Office Caeleb Dressel Breaks Down in Tears After a Pair of Disappointing Swims
Caeleb Dressel, the reigning Olympic champion in the 50-m freestyle and 100-m butterfly, broke down in tears on Friday at the Paris Summer Olympics following two disappointing swims. First, he finished sixth in the 50-m freestyle, missing the podium. Less than an hour later, he placed fifth in his 100-m butterfly semifinal heat, trailing his own world record from the Tokyo Olympics by a significant two seconds.
It’s clear this wasn’t my best performance, but I really enjoyed it. This hasn’t been the best week, and there’s no denying that,” he told reporters just before discovering he wouldn’t be competing in another individual event.
“I wish I could have been faster, but this just isn’t my week, and that’s okay. I was quite a bit off my best today and I could feel it. A lot of effort went into just getting here, and I’ll talk more about it after the meet,” he said. As the other semifinal race concluded and the fastest eight swimmers were announced, he asked, “Does anyone know if I made it? Probably ninth or tenth; does anyone know? Didn’t make it? Tough day. Tough day at the office.” NBC cameras then showed Dressel breaking down in tears over missing the chance to compete in another individual event at the Paris Games.
Dressel openly acknowledges that he is a very different person and swimmer compared to the one who dominated his races in Tokyo. During those Games, he won gold in every event he participated in, securing three individual titles and two relay victories.
Despite his success, the pressure and competitiveness needed to stay at the top were becoming a toxic burden for the three-time Olympian. In 2022, Dressel abruptly withdrew from the World Championships, citing health reasons. He later explained that he needed time away from the sport for his mental health.
For a time, it was uncertain if Dressel would ever race again, let alone compete in another Olympics. He took a break from swimming for eight to nine months, and in February 2024, he and his wife Meghan welcomed their son August. Dressel credits Meghan with helping him return to competitive swimming.
Balancing parenthood with elite training might not seem ideal, but Dressel has managed to make it work. “It’s definitely a different routine, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad,” he told olympics.com in July. Training alongside Katie Ledecky and Bobby Finke in Florida, Dressel didn’t seriously focus on the Paris Olympics until 2023. He started rebuilding his racing form, competing in his first meet in December 2023. Gradually improving his times, he qualified for several events at the U.S. Olympic Trials earlier this summer, including the 50-m freestyle, the 100-m butterfly, and the 4×100-m freestyle relay, in which he won gold on the first day of racing at the Paris Olympics.
Dressel has one more race at the Summer Games—the mixed medley relay on Saturday.
After acknowledging the tough day, Dressel had one final message for reporters on Friday: “Let’s get ready for the relay.”
