The seven-time Olympic gold medallist Caeleb Dressel has qualified for the Summer Olympic Games in Paris after being absent from major swimming championships since he was affected by mental health issues.
The 27-year-old finished third in the 100m freestyle at the American Olympic trials in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Wednesday night Swedish time. The third place meant he missed out on qualifying individually for the distance at the Olympics and therefore will not be able to defend his gold from the Olympics in Tokyo three years ago. However, it also means he will get the chance in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Summer Games.
I'm trying to have fun, and I have, he said to the audience in an interview after the race and continued:
You don't know how much it means to me, the love I get from you. It's been tough.
Caeleb Dressel, who was not present at the World Championship in Doha in February or the World Championship in Fukuoka last year since he took a break from swimming due to mental health issues, swam the 100m freestyle in a time of 47.53. He was 15 hundredths behind winner Chris Guiliano, 47.38, and six hundredths behind runner-up Jack Alexy, 47.47.
Dressel won five Olympic golds, including three individual titles, in Tokyo 2021 and two relay golds in Rio de Janeiro 2016. Later during the American Olympic trials, he will have the chance to qualify for the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly, in addition to the 100m freestyle, the two individual distances he is the reigning Olympic champion in.
