Caeleb Dressel

Caeleb Dressel (born August 16, 1996, Green Cove Springs, Florida, U.S.) is one of the world’s elite swimmers, known as a sprint specialist for his performances in the 50 meters and 100 meters. He has seven Olympic gold medals, five of which were won at the 2020 Tokyo Games (delayed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic). With his numerous tattoos, Dressel is an instantly recognizable figure.

Early years

Dressel is one of four children born to Christina and Mike Dressel, the latter of whom is a veterinarian. The family lived in Green Cove Springs, Florida, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Jacksonville. While his siblings also became competitive swimmers, Caeleb Dressel was a phenom from an early age. A perfectionist and highly competitive, he started swimming when he was about four years old, and by age nine he was matching the times of some of the local high-school swimmers.

By his early teens, Dressel had committed himself to swimming, and he adopted a rigorous training regime, practicing for about 20 hours each week. During this time he joined the Bolles School’s club program. His hard work paid off. At the USA Swimming Winter Junior Nationals in 2013, he became the first swimmer aged 18 or younger to complete the 50-meter freestyle in under 19 seconds. By the time he graduated from Clay High School in 2014, Dressel had broken seven national high-school records.

Highly recruited, Dressel enrolled at the University of Florida of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). There he was a 10-time NCAA champion—notably winning the 50-meter freestyle title four times (2015–18). In addition, he was named the SEC’s Male Swimmer of the Year in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Olympics and world championships

Dressel, who is 6 feet 3 inches (1.9 meters) tall, made his Olympic debut at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. There he won two gold medals, in the 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay and the 4 × 100-meter medley relay. In 2017 he emerged as a swimming superstar, winning seven gold medals at the world championships. Dressel also dominated at the 2019 world championships. He claimed six gold medals, and, in the 100-meter butterfly, he finished in 49.50 sec, breaking Michael Phelps’s record by 0.32 sec.

Leading up to the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Dressel was already being touted as the next Michael Phelps. He did not disappoint. He set two records within eight hours: 47.02 sec (Olympic record) in the 100-meter freestyle and 49.45 sec (world record) in the 100-meter butterfly. Dressel also won the 50-meter freestyle and was a member of the teams that finished first in the 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay and the 4 × 100-meter medley relay. With these victories, he became the fifth swimmer to win five gold medals at a single Olympics.

But Dressel’s Olympics heroics came at a cost, as he recounted after his historic performance: “You can’t sleep right, you can’t nap, shaking all the time, you can’t eat. I think I literally lost 10 pounds….It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.” He also conceded that he hit “some breaking points” in training for the Olympics during the COVID-19 quarantine.

After winning two gold medals at the 2022 world championships, Dressel withdrew from the event, citing a health issue. He started training again in February 2023, but in July he failed to qualify for the world championships. After his return to competition that month, he referred to mental health concerns as the reason for his hiatus: “The easiest way to put it, my body kept score. There were a lot of things I shoved down and all came boiling up, so I didn’t really have a choice.” He also said that he had longed for the sport during his absence: “I missed every part of it. And that’s how I knew I was ready to get back.” He has said that his goal is to return to form in time for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Personal life

In 2021 Dressel married Meghan Haila. The couple had met in high school when both were training with the Bolles School’s club program. In 2024 they had a baby boy, August Wilder Dressel.

In addition to his swimming exploits, Dressel is known for his extensive tattoos, the majority of which cover his left arm and his right leg. His sleeve of arm tattoos includes a bald eagle and a bear.