INDIANAPOLIS — Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Kaereb Dressel qualified for the Paris Olympics after finishing third in the men's 100-meter freestyle final in 47.53 seconds on Wednesday night in Indianapolis.
Dressel did not finish in the top two in the 100 freestyle, so he will compete in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay in Paris. Although he has not yet qualified in the individual events, he still has a chance to qualify in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly later this week.
The top four finishers in the 100m freestyle were Chris Juliano (1st), Jack Alexie (2nd) and Hunter Armstrong (4th), who have each qualified for the 4x100m freestyle relay in Paris.
Indy was tense until the very end.
The men's 100m freestyle final did not disappoint. #SwimTrial24 pic.twitter.com/LEfct2OQzS
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 20, 2024
Dressel won gold in the 100 meter freestyle in Tokyo, as well as in the 50 meter freestyle and 100 meter butterfly. Dressel also won gold in the 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay and the men's medley relay in both Rio and Tokyo. All of his Olympic medals to date have been gold medals.
Still, Dressel remains a mystery. He took eight months off swimming from mid-2022 to early 2023, then suddenly withdrew from the 2022 World Championships and disappeared from the public eye. Then he failed to qualify for the 2023 World Championships and finished fourth in the 50m butterfly at the 2023 U.S. Championships. He's talked about needing time away from swimming and how it brought him back. Over the past year, the 27-year-old Dressel seems to have regained strength and form, both physically and mentally, and is beginning to become the face of U.S. men's swimming again.
Earlier Wednesday night, fellow veteran swimmer and two-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Manuel qualified for Paris (her third Olympics) in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. She placed fourth behind Kate Douglas, Tori Huske and Gretchen Walsh. The top four swimmers will compete in the relay.
“This means everything to me,” said a tearful Manuel, 27. “It's a miracle that I'm even standing here.”
Manuel, who was diagnosed with overtraining syndrome ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, said she was proud to be able to compete in the relay after overcoming recent years of poor health. She said it took a long time for her to be cleared to return to the pool and train at full strength, leaving her just 18 months to prepare for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
“Anyone who really knows my journey knows how hard it has been,” Manuel said. “I basically started from zero and made what is, in my opinion, the greatest Olympic swim team of all time. … It's not the outcome I wanted, but when I think about how far I've come and the mountains I really had to climb, it seems that way.”
“I think it's really important for me to keep fighting through this process and to look back and be proud of myself for believing in myself.”
Also competing in Paris on Wednesday was 17-year-old Thomas Heilmann, who won the men's 200-meter butterfly final, making him the youngest male swimmer to make this year's Olympic team.
It's never too early to make your first Olympic team.
As a teenager, Thomas Heilmann #ParisOlympics. #SwimTrial24 pic.twitter.com/RrcnQF6gWY
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 20, 2024
Wednesday's final drew 22,209 fans to Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, setting a new attendance record for an indoor swimming meet, according to USA Swimming. The previous record was set on the first day of the tournament, when 20,689 fans attended the stadium.
A world record crowd of 22,209 attended the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on Wednesday night.
This is the biggest swimming event in India.
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— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 20, 2024
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(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
