Caeleb Dressel to Test Speed Against Tough Competition in Indianapolis
Since racing in his third Olympics in 2024, Caeleb Dressel has kept a relatively low profile in swimming. He skipped last year’s U.S. Nationals as his wife, Meghan, was preparing to give birth to the couple’s second child, but he still made a push for a spot on the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships team when he raced at USA Swimming’s Summer Championships. Last fall, he shifted his training to Sporting JAX Aquatic Club under former Florida coach Steve Jungbluth.
Dressel has been present at most of the main in-season competitions in the United States held in the last seven months, with stops at the U.S. Open in December, Pro Swim Series meets in January and March and the Fort Lauderdale Open last month. Dressel has posted times as fast as 21.94 in the 50 freestyle (December), 48.97 in the 100 free (May), 23.29 in the 50 butterfly (January) and 51.26 in the 100 butterfly (May). Compared to the rest of the world, his performance was the 100 fly in Fort Lauderdale was his best, the time ranking Dressel eighth in the world for 2026.
His next appearance comes at this week’s Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis, Dressel’s first trip to the city in two years since he qualified for Paris while racing at nearby Lucas Oil Stadium. Dressel is tentatively scheduled to contest the 100 fly Thursday, 50 free Friday and then the 50 fly and 100 free Saturday. Each event will include numerous talented swimmers, all much younger than Dressel, who have made their marks on national and global competition.
Caeleb Dressel at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Take the 100 fly, the event on which Dressel has made the largest impact, with his 2021 world record of 49.45 still standing. Ilya Kharun, in the midst of changing his sporting nationality from Canada to the United States, won bronze in the event at the Paris Olympics and 2025 World Championships. Thomas Heilman has represented the U.S. in the 100 fly each of the last three summers. Dare Rose has twice filled the butterfly role on the U.S. men’s 400 medley relay.
Sprint specialists awaiting in the 50 fly include Kharun, Rose, Dylan Carter, Sean Niewold and Van Mathias. As for sprint freestyle, Dressel could face off with Jack Alexy, the current top sprinter in the country after winning 100 free silver and 50 free bronze at the 2025 World Championships. In the two-lap race, Alexy swam as fast as 46.81 last year, lowering Dressel’s long-standing American record of 46.96 and becoming the third-fastest performer in history.
Most swimmers will use Indianapolis as a tune-up for their end-of-summer championship meets. Most top American stars will go to Pan Pacs while Dressel will join Kharun and other standouts with U.S. Nationals in late July as the primary focus. Results will not carry too much weight, not without international selection at stake, but Dressel will surely appreciate the opportunity to record some fast times before potentially attempting a return to international waters in 2027.
Dressel has been open about his struggles with mental health in previous years, and his current arrangement is designed to emphasize enjoying the sport and maintaining balance with his life and family. Any strong results function as a bonus, icing at the end of one of the great careers in swimming history.
Whatever Dressel accomplishes in the coming months and years, whether or not he qualifies for a fourth Olympics, he secured his legacy long ago. From 2017 to 2021, Dressel dominated the sprint events, winning Olympic gold in the 100 free, 100 fly and 50 free in Tokyo to become just the third man to win three individual golds in swimming in one Olympics. That club had previously consisted of just Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps, with Leon Marchand joining with his four golds in Paris. Dressel also has eight individual world titles in his collection, and the United States has never lost the 400 free relay at a major meet when Dressel participates, winning three Olympic titles and three world titles.
His nine total Olympic gold medals puts him in a tie for third all-time among athletes from any sports. Dressel put himself in position to join Phelps in double digits with his stellar butterfly leg in the men’s 400 medley relay in Paris, only for China to storm back and win gold. Since then, Swedish cross country skier Johannes Klæbo recorded a dominant performance at year’s Winter Games, giving him 11 golds. If Dressel does make it to Los Angeles, he would have more chances to attain gold medal No. 10.
However, two years remain before that ultimate goal. In the meantime, Dressel’s performances this week and throughout the summer will show where the 29-year-old stands in the current pecking order.