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Michael Phelps Congratulates Dressel on 49.50 100 Fly WR: ‘#welldeserved’

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Michael Phelps took to Instagram to congratulate American Caeleb Dressel after he broke Phelps’ 2009 World Record in the 100 fly. Phelps says in the post, “Many congrats to [Caeleb Dressel]!! So sick to watch your starts, turns, under water, and of course your stroke!” Phelps added after, “Swimming super fast this week! Finish strong!”

Dressel responded to Phelps’ post, replying “I appreciate you and what you’ve done for us,” and included the American flag emoji.

This was the 2nd of Michael Phelps‘ LCM butterfly World Records to go down in Gwangju, after 19-year-old Hungarian Kristof Milak shattered his 200 fly record a few days ago. The 100 fly World Record had been set in 2009 in Rome, during the supersuit era, and stood at 49.82 for 10 years. Dressel clocked a 49.50 in semifinals, giving him another shot a going even faster tomorrow. Only Phelps, Dressel, and and Milo Cavic (49.95) have ever broken 50 seconds in the event before. Cavic’s time was also done supersuited in 2009.

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PT44
5 years ago

Love Michael, but commending someone who breaks your world record is pretty standard. It’s not like it was someone he knew that well or developed any kind of dislike toward.

Ragnar
5 years ago

I really doubt we’ll ever see one guy hold the 200 fly, 400 IM, and 200 free WR at the same time again, but that’s what makes Phelps the greatest that can ever be, he made swimming cool and kept great athletes like Caeleb in the pool(could’ve played D1 anything) and Milak from water polo(which is far bigger in his country). Glad those super humans like regan and Milak and Peaty and Caeleb are throwing it down. The only thing that’s missing is a 200/400 and 1500 free guy that’s not named Sun Yang, those records haven’t been changed all that much since 2001

Boknows34
Reply to  Ragnar
5 years ago

I know Phelps held 5 individual WRs during his career, but did he actually hold at least 4 of them simultaneously after Beijing. 200 fly, 200 free, 200 IM and 400 IM?

I think he lost the WRs in 200 free and 200 IM in Rome 2009 to Biedermann and Lochte, and they’ve stayed in their hands ever since.

Edit: Phelps broke Crocker’s 100 fly WR at WC trials in July 2009. So heading into Rome he held WRs in 100/200 fly, 200/400 IM and 200 free. Incredible. Also wasn’t far off the 100/200 back WRs either at one point.

GOAT

Caeleb free and fly WR
Reply to  Boknows34
5 years ago

At one point Lochte held all individual IM records in SC/LC apart from Michael’s vaunted 400 LC IM

Fred
5 years ago

Both the 100 and 200 fly and breast wr has been taken down at this meet. On contrast, the 100 and 200 back finals were just disappointing.

Ryan
Reply to  Fred
5 years ago

True. At least Regan Smith partially makes up for it.

BreaststrokerKnee
5 years ago

I couldn’t help but notice he didn’t do so for the 200 fly until later in the day when he was directly interviewed for it. I think that 200 fly record hurt a bit more than the 100, considering that that wasn’t expected at all where we saw the latter coming after CD at 2017 worlds.

Team Rwanda
Reply to  BreaststrokerKnee
5 years ago

No. He probably doesn’t know Milak personally so it makes sense that he congratulates Dressel more directly

Mark
5 years ago

How did Schooling do?

Canada mom
Reply to  Mark
5 years ago

Came 24th

Prison MIke
Reply to  Canada mom
5 years ago

he tied for 24th which means he would have had a swim off for the C final had there been one

Pvdh
5 years ago

Still remember when he beat Joe at 2017 NCAAs, people didn’t think he could transfer his fly to LCM and now it’s probably his better stroke over freestyle

IM FAN
Reply to  Pvdh
5 years ago

Tbf he used some sick underwaters to do so and at the time Dressel’s long course times weren’t special and Schooling was the man to beat in the 100 fly. Thongs changed quite quickly

Brad Flood
Reply to  IM FAN
5 years ago

Things change almost as fast as undies, too!

anonymoose
Reply to  IM FAN
5 years ago

that tho tho tho thong

Beach Jason 343
5 years ago

I think Phelps is probably thinking how he shouldn’t have slacked off after Beijing and got faster PBs at 09 Worlds and afterwards

Craig
Reply to  Beach Jason 343
5 years ago

I think the time for dwelling in the past for Phelps is over, and he can see swimming in general has gotten so much faster. He really is handing over the baton to the next gen of swimmers, Milak on the 200 and Dressel on the 100m. Phelps still holds the 400IM… its a tough one to crack. 10 years is a substantial time to hold a WR, it just shows you how fast Phelps + supersuit era was

Swimfish
5 years ago

The goat handing over the crown

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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