“I thought I executed my race plan perfectly,” Dressel gushed to The New York Times. “I couldn’t change anything. That’s how I felt in that moment.” Talking to NBC after his match, an overwhelmed Dressel reflected on the “tough year” it’s been and broke into tears. “I don’t know if it’s really set in yet,” he said, adding that he was a bit sore from his speedy swimming. “It really came together, so I’m happy.” Dressel’s eyes welled up at his victory ceremony when the “Star-Spangled Banner” played. Dressel has since won a total of five gold medals at the 2020 Olympics and previously won two gold medals for relay races in 2016’s Rio Games. “It is a lot different,” he said of getting a gold medal for his solo freestyle. “I guess I thought it would be, I just didn’t want to admit to it … It’s a lot tougher. You have to rely on yourself, there’s no one to bail you out.” Dressel’s winning streak ended with the 4x100 meter relay, but through no fault of his own: By the time it was his turn to swim, Team USA already had an eight-second deficit; Dressel was able to dredge them to fifth place. He told The Associated Press, “Fifth place is unacceptable for USA Swimming. It stings.” Dressel admitted that he was happy when the Tokyo Games ended. “I’m really glad to be done. It’s not an easy week at all. I guess some parts were extremely enjoyable," he conceded. “I would say the majority of them were not.” Still, he added, “It’s not the most enjoyable process, but it is worth it. Every part of it is worth it. Just because it’s bad doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.” Get to know Caeleb Dressel and see why he’s being hailed as the next Michael Phelps!
How old is Caeleb Dressel?
Dressel will turn 25 on Aug. 16.
Who is Caeleb Dressel’s wife?
Dressel is married to Meghan Haila Dressel. They met on their high school swim team and married in February 2021. Meghan watched Dressel win his second gold medal from Florida, surrounded by other friends and family. (Dressel previously said that Meghan stopped swimming competitively in her sophomore year at Florida State University to focus on her goal of becoming a child-family counselor.) She told NBC Boston that Dressel understands the sort of pressure fellow Olympian Simone Bilesfaced when she withdrew from the team and individual all-around gymnastics finals. “It’s definitely a balancing act for him. I think most of the time he has a handle on it and he’s good at it, but he definitely has his moments where it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is a lot.’ It’s a lot of expectations, a lot of pressure.” Dressel was rendered speechless as Meghan and his loved ones told them they loved him and were proud of him following his gold medal victory.
Caeleb Dressel’s tattoos details
Dressel has five tattoos: Olympic rings on his right forearm and a full sleeve on his left arm that includes images of an American flag, orange blossoms and oranges, magnolias, a bald eagle, a bear and an alligator. He’s previously said that his sleeve essentially represents his home state of Florida.
Caeleb Dressel was under a ton of stress during the Tokyo Olympics
Dressel told The Associated Press that he struggled under the pressures of the 2020 Olympics. “You can’t sleep right, you can’t nap, you’re shaking all the time, you don’t eat,” he confessed. “I’ve probably lost 10 pounds.” Dressel, who turned to journaling to protect his mental health during the Tokyo Games, said he was so drained emotionally and physically that even talking on the phone or Facetiming with friends and family back home was exhausting. However, he said most people would have had no idea he was struggling. “I’m really good at hiding my emotions,” he admitted. “I can put a pretty good show on before each race, but once I shut it off, it just floods out.”
Who is Caeleb Dressel’s mentor Claire McCool?
Claire McCool was one of Dressel’s high school teachers and mentors. She passed away in 2017 from cancer, after which her husband gave Dressel one of her blue bandanas. Dressel wrote her name on his face during competitions in college and often carries the bandana in her memory to his matches.
Caeleb Dressel already broke one of Michael Phelps’ records
At the 2019 swimming World Championships, Dressel shattered the record Phelps set for the 100-meter butterfly. Dressel won the race in 49.5 seconds, besting Phelps by .39 seconds.
Swimming wasn’t Caeleb Dressel’s favorite sport
Dressel admitted to Sports Illustrated that he actually preferred football to swim growing up because swimming just wasn’t as hip at the time. “I was embarrassed about it,” he said. “It wasn’t a cool sport, and I didn’t really love it that much.”
Caeleb Dressel taught Team USA to play poker
Dressel told PEOPLEthat he and his male teammates taught some of the women’s USA Swimming team how to play poker during their downtime at the Tokyo Olympics. “We were teaching [the women] how to play and we were I guess the coaches,” he said. “Just moments like that, it’s so much fun. They always clapped for each other after every hand. Moments like that, all the moments at camp where we really become Team USA. You become Team USA when you’re teaching some of the girls to play poker or you’re getting food someplace in Hawaii together. It’s the stupid little moments, it’s not the big moments that are caught on cameras, it’s the stuff you guys don’t see. And that’s what makes this team so unique.”
Caeleb Dressel plays the drums
Check out his rendition of Fountains of Wayne’s hit “Stacy’s Mom.”
Caeleb Dressel’s family loves swimming
Dressel may be the best swimmer in his family, but he isn’t the only one: His father, Michael, was a competitive swimmer, and his sisters Kaitlyn and Sherridon both swim for the University of Florida.
Caeleb Dressel is a proud dog dad
Dressel and Meghan are the proud owners of a black labrador retriever named Jane.
Caeleb Dressel has a YouTube channel and podcast
Dressel has a YouTube channel, Dressel Dissect, in which he examines and speaks about his performance in the pool. He also co-hosts a podcast called The Ben and Caeleb Showwith his friend and University of Florida swimming teammate Ben Kennedy, where they discuss just about anything that crosses their minds. Next, test your Olympics knowledge with these 125 trivia questions and answers!
