Dressel wins third golds at swimming worlds

Associated Press

GWANGIU, SOUTH KOREA

Caeleb Dressel made history — again — at the world swimming championships.

The American won three gold medals in a span of about two hours Saturday night, duplicating his feat from two years ago in Budapest, Hungary.

Dressel has six golds and seven medals overall with one night remaining in the meet. He tied Michael Phelps’ record of seven medals — all gold — at a single worlds in 2017.

“It was not easy in ‘17, it was not easy this year,” the 22-year-old Floridian said. “I don’t want it to be easy, I really don’t.”

He capped his momentous night by leading off the victorious mixed 4x100-meter freestyle relay. Dressel joined Zach Apple, Mallory Comerford and Simone Manuel in setting a world record of 3 minutes, 19.40 seconds.

That lowered the mark of 3:19.60 set by the U.S. in 2017.

Manuel dueled with Australian anchor Bronte Campbell over the final 50. The American clocked 52 seconds to Campbell’s 52.36 to keep Dressel golden.

“I had a lot of help on that relay,” he said, pointing out that his 100 split of 47.34 would only have been good enough for bronze in the individual event.

Dressel opened the evening with a win in the 50 free to complete a 50-100 free sweep. He touched in 21.04 seconds, bettering the championship record of 21.08 set by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo at the 2009 worlds in Rome during the height of the rubber suit era.

Bruno Fratus of Brazil and Kristian Gkolomeev of Greece tied for silver in 21.45.

Coming back just 34 minutes later, Dressel won the 100 fly in 49.66 a night after breaking Phelps’ world record in the semifinals.

On his three trips to the podium, Dressel tied a bandanna belonging to his late high school mentor onto the ribbon holding his medal. He stood with his hand over his heart for the anthem.

“She loved me and I loved her, it’s as simple as that,” Dressel said, referring to math teacher Claire McCool, who died in December 2017. “That bandanna is just the last piece I have of her. I just wanted to bring her along for the journey.”

Katie Ledecky won her first gold medal in her final event of an illness-plagued worlds, rallying on the last lap to claim the 800 free.

Ledecky led the first seven laps before Simona Quadarella took over. The Italian was in front the next seven laps before it all came down to the final 50 meters.

“Simona was having a great race and pulled up right next to me,” Ledecky said. “When she did that I kind of felt like I could stick with her and rely on my speed, so just tried to stay calm, relaxed from the 500 to the 750.”