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Caeleb Dressel Scares American Record with 47.3 in 100 Free Prelims

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Though he wasn’t able to match his 2017 100 free speed on the 400 free relay on night one of the meet, the USA’s Caeleb Dressel looks like his freestyle is in top form. In prelims of the 100 free, Dressel shot off to the early lead, turning in 22.68 with Brazil’s Marcelo Chierighini (47.95) just hundredth behind. He outsplit Chierighini by over half a second on the closing length to top the heats in 47.32. Though Dressel extended his lead on the back half, he appeared to have shut it down towards the end of the race.

That time is the fastest he’s been since the 2017 World Championships, where Dressel first broke the American Record in the event, lowering it multiple times to a 47.17. His prelims time was also 3 tenths better than his 47.63 leadoff split on the 400 free relay here, which at the time stood as the 9th fastest American performance in history (now 10th). Dressel now owns the top 4 American times in history and 5 of the all-time American top 10 performances.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 AMERICAN PERFORMANCES – MEN’S 100 FREE

1 Caeleb Dressel 47.17
2 Caeleb Dressel 47.22
3 Caeleb Dressel 47.26
4 Caeleb Dressel 47.32
5 David Walters 47.33
6 Michael Phelps 47.51
7 Nathan Adrian 47.52
8 Jason Lezak 47.58
9 David Walters 47.59
10 Caeleb Dressel 47.63

Cesar Cielo’s World Record in this event has stood for 10 years now, but it’s on notice in the semis and finals at this meet. The fastest textile time in history remains a 47.04 done by Australia’s Cameron McEvoy in 2016. However, McEvoy hasn’t come close to the mark since and isn’t swimming the race individually here. Instead, Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers is the top Australian competing in Gwangju. He qualified 10th for the semis in 48.66. Just last month, Chalmers became the 10th fastest man in history in this race with a lifetime best 47.35.

ALL-TIME TOP 10 PERFORMERS – MEN’S 100 FREE

1 Cesar Cielo 46.91
2 Alain Bernard 46.94
3 Cameron McEvoy 47.04
4 Eamon Sullivan 47.05
5 James Magnussen 47.10
6 Fred Bousqet 47.15
7 Caeleb Dressel 47.17
8 Brent Hayden 47.27
9 David Walters 47.33
10 Kyle Chalmers 47.35

The race is still on to see who will be the first man to break 47 in a textile suit.

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Josh
5 years ago

Dave Walters was the man. Shame to see his career cut short due to injury.

Lactate for breakfast
5 years ago

Larkin will have the 200 IM right before the relay, he will be huuuurting

CRD
5 years ago

Anyone has the race video?

ooo
5 years ago

Is Bernard’s time legit ? I remember a discussion about the validity of his plastic fantastic suit.

Tim
Reply to  ooo
5 years ago

There was an issue because at one race he was caught wearing two suits I think? That was when they brought in a rule saying one suit only. Annoying because my cheap ass wearing two worn out pairs of briefs at a masters meet got called out a few years ago. It’s hardly comparable.

ooo
Reply to  Tim
5 years ago

I believe the 2 suits records were Federica over 400m (her 4:01) and possibly Leveaux 44.xx SCM. But there is certainly something fishy with Bernard’s 100 as it not listed as European record (He has it but with 47:12 from Roma 2009 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_records_in_swimming#Men), but is nevertheless the French record https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_records_in_swimming#Men ?!?

flurpy
5 years ago

I hope to see zapple on that American top 10 list by the end of the year. He had some meat on the bone with that relay split.

UknowWho
5 years ago

holy **** that looked soooo easy

Hank
5 years ago

There’s only 2 possible conclusions here. One is that he should have saved this effort for semis and finals. The other is that 47.3 is a slow time for Dressel.

Sheen
5 years ago

Ol’ Longhorn mysteriously silent. I’m sure he’ll crawl back out of the sewer if Dressel gets out touched by Chalmers tho.

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Braden Keith

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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