Update: SwimSwam’s Coleman Hodges, who is at the meet, has confirmed that Dressel is not shaved.
Florida sophomore Caeleb Dressel added an even more unheard-of 18.23 to his record-breaking 18.39 second freestyle swim from Wednesday’s prelims at the 2016 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships in Columbia, Missouri.
He now has the two fastest 50 yard freestyles in the history of the sport. The records he broke in prelims:
- SEC Championship Record, Matt Targett, 18.52 (2009 SEC Championships)
- SEC Record, Cesar Cielo, 18.47 (2008 NCAA Championships)
- American Record, Nathan Adrian, 18.66 (2011 NCAA Championships)
- NCAA Record, Cesar Cielo, 18.47 (2008 NCAA Championships)
- U.S. Open Record (fastest ever), Cesar Cielo, 18.47 (2008 NCAA Championships)
In prelims, Dressel, despite swimming the fastest 50 free ever, was a touch long on his turn, leaving the door open to take the record even lower, and the race was won by the time he came up off the start, but the record was earned with a better turn.
Other major 50 frees prelims/finals combos:
- Cesar Cielo, 2008 NCAA Championships: 18.79 prelims, 18.52 finals
- Matt Targett, 2009 NCAA Championships: 18.52 prelims, 18.85 finals
- Vlad Morozov, 2013 NCAA Championships: 18.91 prelims, 18.63 finals
- Kristian Gkolomeev, 2015 SEC Championships: 18.88 prelims, 18.64 finals
- Caeleb Dressel, 2015 NCAA Championships: 18.86 prelims, 18.67 finals
Am I the only one who finds the 50 boring? Is not about swimming. It’s all about the start and turn (in short course anyway). Never got the excitement. Kudos to the kid for nailing it, but I’d like to see him do it in a real event. And if the French are good at it it’s probably not a real event.
I Look up to this guy whenever I swim. Very motivating.
Let the swimming talk. The 100 is a different race not a mathematical formula. I hope to see a 40mid or low. I do not think he can break 40 at this meet maybe at NCAAS if he does a full taper and shave.
The scary part is that I think he can go 39 in the 100 free. If he goes 19.2/20.7, it’ll be a 39.9.
The difference between Vlad’s best 50yd free and Caeleb’s is .40. If you take .4 off of Vlad’s best 100 free, you get 40.36.
Also, Vlad went 18.63 in 2013, the same year he went 21.47 in meters during Worlds. 🙂
Caeleb can definitely go 21.2 this summer.
I called the American Record on Monday!!! My friends didn’t believe me, but I knew Caeleb would get it. 🙂
I also called him going 18.2 in the finals this morning after prelims. 🙂
Silver behind Manaudou in Rio!!! (In the 50)
This might sound off, but anyways if Caeleb Dressel could swim that fast at SECs, how fast could he swim at NCAAs? Also, if
Ryan Hoffer wants to swim for the University of Florida, will the coach let him? These two questions are on the forefront of
my mind because who knows what potential is yet to be unlocked. There are 4 strokes in swimming, 5 if you consider the
underwater dolphin kick. When it comes full circle, it matters about the start, turn, and finish to see who will get the top spot
NCAAs but I need a couple questions answered first.
How soon until girls go under 20 in the 50 free?????
I never thought I’d see the 50 get that fast in my lifetime. I remember the first time I heard of someone breaking 19 on a RELAY and thought that was super human