Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Held Scratch 200 Free Semifinals at Olympic Trials

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Held Scratch 200 Free Semifinals at Olympic Trials

After swimming the second quickest time of the 200 freestyle heats at the 2021 US Olympic Trials in Omaha, Caeleb Dressel has scratched the semifinals of the event to focus on other events in the meet. Dressel swam a 1:46.63 to put up the second fastest time of the morning, seemingly putting his name in the hat for a spot on the 800 free relay come the Tokyo Olympics.

Ryan Held, who represented the US at the 2016 Olympics in the 400 free relay, also scratched the 200 free semis after swimming a best time to finish 11th at 1:47.57. Held’s best coming into Monday was a 1:49.12 earlier this year. He’s had a lot of success in short-course yards in this event and put together a solid long-course swim this morning. Held should be a factor in the 50 and 100 freestyle later in the week.

Caeleb Dressel’s swim, which was his first time under 1:47 in his career, shows he is ready to go for the rest of the meet. He will attack the 50 and 100 free and the 100 butterfly, which he won gold medals in at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships. He is entered in the 200 fly and 200 IM on the psych sheet but has not indicated if he will give them a go in the heats. His best time in the 200 free before Monday was a 1:47.31 from the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series in Richmond.

With Dressel’s and Held’s scratches, that elevates 2019 Pan Am Games member Grant House to the semifinals after coming in 17th at 1:48.18, as well as fellow Arizona State Sun Devil Julian Hill (1:48.56).

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