Watch Caeleb Dressel Unleash 17.90 50 Free Split

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The 2017 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships splashed in to action yesterday with the 200 medley relay, 800 free relay, and 1-meter diving.

Caeleb Dressel, a junior on the Florida Gators men’s team, produced the highlight of the night when he blasted to a 17.90 50 free split in the men’s 200 medley relay. Dressel rocketed the Gators to a first place finish and new SEC record of 1:23.44.

Florida is in lane two (near the top of the screen) in the video below.

Watch Race Video here (video courtesy of Texas A&M):

Original SEC report by Dan D’Addona

The first night of the SEC Championships is usually low key.

Diving and a couple of relays open the meet as most of the athletes prepare for the rest of the week.

Florida’s Caeleb Dressel made sure there were some fireworks on the first night, anchoring the 200-yard medley relay in 17.90. The anchor teamed with Jack Blyzinskyj, Chandler Bray and Jan Switkowski to win the relay in 1:23.44, an SEC record.

Dressel’s split marked just the second time any man had split under 18 on a relay after Vlad Morozov posted a 17.86 in 2013. Of course, Dressel has plenty more chances to get to or better that mark this season.

The Gators barely held off Alabama’s Connor Oslin, Pavel Romanov, Luke Kaliszak and Zane Waddell (1:23.52), which also was under the previous meet record set in 2009.

Florida made it two-for-two on relay wins as Khader Baqlah, Maxime Rooney, Mitch D’Arrigo and Mark Szaranek won the 800 free relay in 6:12.18, breaking the SEC meet record and the pool record.

Auburn finished four seconds behind.

Tennessee’s Liam Stone won 1-meter diving with 420.70 points.

In the women’s meet, the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs got off to a fast start with Olivia Smoliga, Emily Cameron, Chelsea Britt and Chantal Van Landeghem winning the 200 medley relay in 1:35.28, a pool record at Tennessee.

Texas A&M was second (1:35.33), followed by Tennessee (1:35.45).

Texas A&M’s Sarah Gibson, Sydney Pickrem, Katie Portz and Claire Rasmus won the 800 free relay in 6:57.90 — two seconds ahead of Kentucky.

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56 Comments

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Tom Pollock

7 years ago

John Carlton Rich this is so nasty lol

John Kuendig

7 years ago

Reply to Tom Pollock

Hes gonna do that from a flat start before too long.

Tom Pollock

7 years ago

Reply to Tom Pollock

Bro he beat them bc he had to. That was pure racing. Incredible.

Tom Pollock

7 years ago

Reply to Tom Pollock

He could have gone faster I think lol

Matthieu de Caffarelli

7 years ago

Peter Bachour holy molly 😮 he’s fast

Kara Muscillo

7 years ago

Insane!!!

Harry Delong

7 years ago

Gasp!

Daniela Gervasi Baroni

7 years ago

Crazy! That’s unhuman like!

Jim Bowser

7 years ago

Yikes!
That’s blazing quick!
I wish he was on our team.

Tracey Richards Chiulli

7 years ago

WOW!

Kyle Younker

7 years ago

? hm

Gemma McLeod

7 years ago

Jean-Luc Diggins you next year?

Jean-Luc Diggins

7 years ago

Reply to Gemma McLeod

This year?

Gemma McLeod

7 years ago

Reply to Gemma McLeod

Jean-Luc Diggins snags it is

Rachel Ahola Tyler

7 years ago

James Seward, crazy huh!?!

Jessie Jordan

7 years ago

Nick Lucash

Brian Deng

7 years ago

Paul Zeng

7 years ago

Reply to Brian Deng

Thank you thank you

Jacob Adamski

7 years ago

Kyle Younker

Stacy Pelger

7 years ago

Nolan Pelger

Anthony Santos

7 years ago

Gabriela Cuzzi Fernandes

Tyler King

7 years ago

Kayla King

アルトマン黒崎　ジョーナス由哉

7 years ago

not to be picky but the Gators didn’t “hold off” Alabama, they ran them down.

Byron Shefchik

7 years ago

Plus he was .21 slow off the blocks. Could have been a 17.7

Jim McFarlane

7 years ago

What a race! Go Gators!

Mary Ahola

7 years ago

Wow!!!

Rob Loose

7 years ago

Those new suits are really helping. ??‍♂️

Matt Keogh

7 years ago

Max Costley unreal speed martin

Max Costley

7 years ago

Reply to Matt Keogh

Flyingggg

Philip Gallego

7 years ago

Marco Gonzalez crazy bro

Heather Malzahn Roff

7 years ago

Murron Seamus

Alja Tavčar

7 years ago

Rubén Giménez

Wyatt Fate

7 years ago

And I can’t even hit a 29 off a dive in practice right now….

Allison Texter

7 years ago

Amijo Bearley he has that foot up in the air on his dive like Chase!

Amijo Bearley

7 years ago

I saw that.. maybe it’s a sign?

Allison Texter

7 years ago

Reply to Amijo Bearley

Swimming before they hit the water.

Seamus Roff

7 years ago

He’s the man !! Love him !

Sean Brogan

7 years ago

Daphne Hallenbeck-Colbert

Anna Marie Birkbak

7 years ago

Anders Gauhl Birkbak Mads Bjerre Knoblauch Se lige løbet fra start til slut. Helt latterligt!

Anders Gauhl Birkbak

7 years ago

Reply to Anna Marie Birkbak

Wow !

Mads Bjerre Knoblauch

7 years ago

Reply to Anna Marie Birkbak

https://youtu.be/cd6gUg1dWG4

Dan DiSalle

7 years ago

#insanity, #nothuman

Matt Berkus

7 years ago

All in about 25 total strokes.

Kathi Heapy

7 years ago

OMG!

Orhan Aydoğan

7 years ago

Matheus Fernandez Amorim

Lelah Olender

7 years ago

David ????

Meghan Donahue

7 years ago

Sally Benjamin Louis

Lauren Olson

7 years ago

And i thought going under 27 was hard?

Alex Choy

7 years ago

cant even break 23

Lorena Tellas

7 years ago

Wow

Joe Bonifacio

7 years ago

Wow

Jillian Catherine Orton

7 years ago

WOW ?

Susan Fitch

7 years ago

I witnessed Joe Bottom break 20 seconds in the 50 yard free at Cleveland State Natatorium in the late 70s. It was electric. Just like watching this swim. How exciting.

Michael Barnes

7 years ago

Ciana Sather Elliott Lewis Gary Dodd holy shit

Eoghan Heeney

7 years ago

Shane Kelly

Tommy Eyer

7 years ago

good grief what a swim