University of Florida sophomore Caeleb Dressel, the defending NCAA Champion in the 50 yard freestyle, has swum the fastest 50 freestyle in history to break the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open Records in the event.
Dressel swam 18.39 in prelims on Wednesday at the 2016 SEC Swimming & Diving Championship in Columbia, Missouri. The records he broke:
- 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)
This adds to the increasing legend of Dressel, who two years ago became the first junior swimmer under 19 seconds in the 50 yard free, and then last season broke his own National Age Group Record with an 18.67 – which is still a whopping four-tenths of a second faster than anybody else in that age group has been.
USC’s Vlad Morozov swam a 18.63 in 2013, his last year as a collegiate swimmer, that was the previous fastest time in a textile jammer (aka a suit that would be legal under current rules).
At the beginning of the season, Florida head coach Gregg Troy said that he would shave his mustache if Dressel went an 18.39 in the 50 free, calling the shot exactly.
I had no idea there were still events where they they swam events measured in yards.
Pretty amazing.
Really?
Man, it really sucks he went to Florida.
18.23……no words
Imagine the Bolles relay now…Murphy, Schooling, and Dressel all on the same high school team…
Murphy back, schooling breast, dressel free. Now we just need a breaststroker?
Don’t forget Condorelli!
Flo has some serious competition now with Dressel.
Flo from Progressive? Even she could not have scanned this any faster.
Everyone who says “and it was even in prelims” might be in for a disappointment tonight. If he was going to go after this record/event/time then his best shot was prelims. Tonight the field/heat will be closer to him and that wave going into the wall will be bigger. BUT I think his underwaters help eliminate that, which may be the only time that underwater fly is faster (when you are elite like him and Hoffer and need to get under that wave). Notice how much better/further he popped up after the turn than the start compared to everyone else.
If I were a betting man, I would say maybe leading off the 200FR or prelims at NCAAs would… Read more »
Except he went 18.23 at finals
Donkey Balls
Amazing that the guys so far behind were swimming 19s!