Caeleb Dressel Pops 21.18 50 Free, Just Half-Hour After WR

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Caeleb Dressel -- Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

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World Swimming Championships Caeleb Dressel

Gwangju 2019

Day Six Semifinals

After the first two semifinals of the evening at the World Swimming Championships produced world records in the men’s 100 fly and women’s 200 back, action came back to Earth just a smidge with action in the men’s 50 free and women’s 50 fly.

Men’s 50 Freestyle

Caeleb Dressel had just 30 minutes to recover after setting a world record in the men’s 100 fly, but he quickly got back in the pool and led the way in the 50 free semifinals with a 21.19, just four hundredths short of his lifetime best of 21.15 that he swam on his way to a world title in the event two years ago in Budapest. Only three men, Cesar CieloFred Bousquet and Ben Proud have been quicker, with only Proud having done so (21.11) in textile.

Dressel will reverse the order of his two events in finals, with the 50 free proceeding the 100 fly. Two years ago, Dressel became the first man to win world titles in three separate events in one night, with the mixed 4×100 free relay at the end of the session. Dressel should have the opportunity to go for gold in all three again Saturday.

In the short turnaround he had between his two races, Dressel was allowed to use the diving well to cool down.

Finishing well behind Dressel, Brazil’s Bruno Fratus (21.53) and Great Britain’s Proud (21.56) qualified second and third, respectively. The rest of the field finished in a tight pack between 21.60 and 21.77, with the group led by Greece’s Kristian Gkolomeev (21.60) and completed by the USA’s Michael Andrew (21.77).

Finalists

  1. Caeleb Dressel (USA), 21.19
  2. Bruno Fratus (BRA), 21.53
  3. Ben Proud (GBR), 21.56
  4. Kristian Gkolomeev (GRE), 21.60
  5. Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 21.65
  6. Pawe Juraszek (POL), 21.69
  7. Shinri Shioura (JPN), 21.74
  8. Michael Andrew (USA), 21.77

Women’s 50 Fly

Sarah Sjostrom also had to handle multiple races in the Friday evening session, as she returned for the women’s 50 fly semis just over an hour after winning bronze in the 100 free. While Sjostrom couldn’t defend her 100 free world record, she should have no trouble dealing with the field in the 50 fly, as she now holds the 15 quickest performances in history in the event. Her 24.79 from the semis is the fifth-fastest mark ever, while no other woman has ever cracked 25.

The Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo, the silver medalist in the event two years ago in Budapest, qualified second in 25.54, followed closely by France’s Marie Wattell (25.56) and the USA’s Kelsi Dahlia (25.59). Egypt’s Farida Osman, the Budapest bronze medalist, qualified fifth in 25.79.

Finalists

  1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 24.79
  2. Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED), 25.54
  3. Marie Wattell (FRA), 25.56
  4. Kelsi Dahlia (USA), 25.59
  5. Farida Osman (EGY), 25.79
  6. Penny Oleksiak (CAN), 25.93
  7. Brianna Throssell (AUS), 25.93
  8. Jeanette Ottesen (DEN), 26.01

Read more about the FINA World Swimming Championships.

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23 Comments
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Fabrício Madureira Madureira

Incredible

Andy Gallion
4 years ago

Not of this world

Stelian Costin
4 years ago

Soon a New WR!

Roi Mengelgrein
4 years ago

Beast!!

Kara Muscillo
4 years ago

Kim Pfarrer DiJoseph ypu have to catch this on video. So freaking fast

Victoria Hart
4 years ago

George Morreal

Doug Newman
4 years ago

Aaron Wands

Aaron Wands
4 years ago
Reply to  Doug Newman

Doug Newman he’s gonna do a sub 21 tomorrow.

Manüel Bertozzi
4 years ago

Still waiting for a new wr

Adrien Kendall Luggie's

Laurent Sempéré

Juan Josue Serrano
4 years ago

Danielle Santana chequea este

Danielle Santana
4 years ago

Juan Josue Serrano el mundial de corta estará muy buenooo

Sebastián Carrillo Turcios

James Blanco Salas

Dexter Wong
4 years ago

Super fast aquaman

José Freitas
4 years ago

Torpedo man

Louise Holden
4 years ago

Amazing

George Morreal
4 years ago

Robert Sexton

Paul Anthony
4 years ago

Helps that he does endurance training, not just sprint training.

Patrick J Willey
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul Anthony

Is this a serious comment or just a need to state the extreme obvious.

Paul Anthony
4 years ago
Reply to  Paul Anthony

Patrick J Willey CB has been criticized before for his choice of coach and training method. He is right, critics wrong.

Joshua Zhang
4 years ago

Bridget Lin lmao and me complaining there’s only 2 events between my 50 free and 100 back

Bridget Lin
4 years ago
Reply to  Joshua Zhang

Joshua Zhang What a machine ?

Rhett Saylors
4 years ago

Good lord look at that start

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