2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
- Meet site
- Competition Schedule
- FinaTV Live Stream
- Entry Lists
- Results
One day after breaking a 10-year-old world record in the men’s 100 fly, Caeleb Dressel backed it up by winning the gold medal with the second-fastest swim in history.
Dressel claimed the final in a time of 49.66, just shy of his 49.50 from the semi-finals. He bumps his 50.36 from the Swim Meet of Champions last month out of the all-time top-10, as he still owns six of the top-10 swims ever, but now also seven of the fastest 11.
After becoming the first swimmer ever with multiple sub-50 swims yesterday, he’s now the first to do it three times.
ALL-TIME PERFORMANCES, MEN’S 100 FLY:
- Caeleb Dressel (USA), 49.50 — 2019
- Caeleb Dressel (USA), 49.66 – 2019
- Michael Phelps (USA), 49.82 – 2009
- Caeleb Dressel (USA), 49.86 – 2017
- Milorad Cavic (SRB), 49.95 – 2009
- Milorad Cavic (SRB), 50.01 – 2009
- Caeleb Dressel (USA), 50.07 – 2017
- Caeleb Dressel (USA), 50.08 – 2017
- Michael Phelps (USA), 50.22 – 2009
- Caeleb Dressel (USA), 50.28 – 2019
- Caeleb Dressel (USA), 50.36 – 2019
Defending his title from 2017, Dressel becomes the fourth man in history to repeat in this event. He joins Ian Crocker (2003-2005), Michael Phelps (3 – 2007-2011), and Chad Le Clos (2013-2015).
SPLIT COMPARISON
Looking at the splits from his three 49-second swims, he was out over two-tenths slower than the semis in 23.09, and then came back a tenth quicker in 26.57. When he went 49.86 in Budapest, he closed the fastest of all three swims in 26.55.
| Dressel, 2017 Final | Dressel, 2019 Semis | Dressel, 2019 Final |
| 23.31 | 22.83 | 23.09 |
| 26.55 | 26.67 | 26.57 |
| 49.86 | 49.50 | 49.66 |
This swim marked an impressive double, as not long prior he won gold and set a new textile world record in the 50 free final in a time of 21.04. He won both events during the same session in Budapest as well, except there they were reversed (with the 100 fly coming first).
He’ll finish the session off as the lead-off on America’s mixed freestyle relay a bit later on.
Will he break the 200 IM WR next week?
I think he’s got the best shot to make this event his second WR this summer. Of course he could pop off a small improvement in the 50 & 100 free too. Hopefully he can adjust back to normal enough to be physically fine next week. He’s on an absolute tear.
Doubt that he will swim Nationals at all
What a beast!
Amazing to see a sprinter able to swim so many races. He never looks tired. Other sprinters are dead after one or two events.
He has a body of sprinter with a motor of marathon runner.
Last year on swimswam I predicted he would swim 49.50 at Pan Pacs but it was one year too early. He did it in 2019.
And honestly I’m not gonna blame him. 2018 was a good year to have an “off” year.
Nice to see Bobo in the comments
Bobo, what’s happening with France? It won plenty golds in major meets not long ago, and now it’s nothing. Any reason why? Especially contrasting to the rise of Italy as a swimming power
the downvotes are back
Yeah whats up with that? I up-voted Bobo even b4 reading his post–I’ve missed him
Somebody programmed bots to down vote Bobo, been going on for years 🙁
Swimswam, can you just disable down votes on Bobo? He’s a swimswam treasure and must be protected lol.
Welcome back BOBO GIGI. Don’t let your downvoting haters (likely bots) get you down. Keep posting.
Imagine this race between a rested Beijing (or 2009 if you think he’d still be faster) LZR Phelps and Dressel. Greatest hypothetical race of all time?
Or a phelps that fully trained in 09, 10, 2011, 2012. We never got to see Phelps at his absolute best and that’s saying stuff with all the amazing things he did!
Yeah that would be ok but the greatest hypothetical race of all time, hands down, is Phelps v. Shark. No contest.
Michael Andrew is pretty much left in the dust in all his events, so far coming away with nothing. Mr 50s guy won’t be on any Olympic team.
cut him some slack, he’s making finals in multiple events… I would be shocked if he doesn’t make the Olympic team
How much more slack are we cutting him? At his age star swimmers were having significant results at major meets. So far it’s been “oh yes he’s there”. Let’s not further what Dressel did at his age in 2017
The guy is world class. He is a bit off at this meet, sure, but he still finaled in every 50, which is nuts. He’s still got a long career in front of him, and he’s on track to be a great contributor to Team USA. Nothing to worry about.
I also don’t understand why his goal is to be the fastest in all four 50s. Is this summer league? I get the 50 freestyle but the bragging rights are with the Olympic events, He needs to work on his 100 Freestyle to get on the relay.
Too much splashing around on the beach? Seriously, Micheal needs to pound out some big-time yardage and fix his freestyle breathing to stretch beyond the 50s. Heard someone 20 minutes down the coast is looking for consulting opportunities–synergy?
Unless another 50 freestyle steps up, he has a chance in the 50 free. But…that’s it.
what’s up with breaking records in semis at this worlds
It doesn’t matter. Regan, Caeleb and Peaty won the final anyway. It will be a different story if they set the records in semis and did not win in finals.
It’s easier to break the record in semis. You are fresher, there is less pressure. It happens fairly often.
Smith wasn’t going for the 200 record in finals, she was telling the USA coaches that she’s their best bet on the medley relay.
If he hadn’t broken the world record at semis this would be a world record as well. Quite impressive
Other than Dressel, that was a pathetic final. Only one person broke 51.00. In 2017, six people broke 51. Were the others intimidated?
Phelps won with 51.1 in London
Ok?? That was seven years ago. What other swims from 7 years ago would you like to point out?
Don’t rly get the it was 7 years ago argument. Let’s see Rio. 50.39 for gold, 51.1 for silver. Nearly the same level, even slower. 2017 final was amazingly fast. That’s all, don’t expect that all the time
Dressels waves must have been too much
He would of broke the record again…..but he jammed that turn. Great race though for him.
“Couldn’t get the No.1 spot, huh”