Caleb Dressel, Gretchen Walsh win 50m free titles on US Swimming Championships’ final day
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A happy Caeleb Dressel after winning the 50m freestyle final on the final day of US National Championships in Irvine, California on Aug 1.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
- Caeleb Dressel won the 50m freestyle in 21.35 seconds, his fastest time in four years, and also claimed the 100m freestyle title at the US Swimming Championships.
- Gretchen Walsh won the women's 50m freestyle in 23.60 seconds, close to her recent world record of 23.55 seconds, preparing for the upcoming Pan Pacific Championships.
- Dressel, not qualifying for Pan Pacs, expressed optimism about his progress, while Walsh and Kate Douglass will compete for the US in the Pan Pacs against top international swimmers.
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Los Angeles – Nine-time Olympic gold medallist Caeleb Dressel and world-record holder Gretchen Walsh closed the US Swimming Championships with impressive 50m freestyle victories in Irvine, California, on Aug 1.
The 29-year-old posted his fastest 50m free time in four years with a victory in 21.35sec, four-tenths of a second quicker than runner-up Quintin McCarty.
He captured his second title of the week after winning the 100m free, his first triumph in a major meeting since the 2024 Olympic trials.
Dressel followed that with second places in the 50m and 100m butterfly, beaten by Ilya Kharun in both.
Walsh powered to victory in 23.60sec, just outside the world record of 23.55 she set at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome on June 28.
“Honestly, I just wanted to execute it really well,” the 23-year-old said. I feel like I’ve had a great summer in that event already and it’s not over yet. So this is a great tune-up for Pan Pacs in two weeks.”
Walsh’s world mark came a week after training partner Kate Douglass had lowered it to 23.59sec at the Pro Swim Series at Indianapolis. Douglass opted not to swim the 50m free on Aug 1.
But the 24-year-old and Walsh will be back in the same Irvine pool in August representing the United States in the Pan Pacific Championships – where they will be up against top swimmers from Australia, Japan, Canada and other non-European nations.
Dressel, who took a break from the sport after the 2024 Paris Olympics, did not qualify for the US Pan Pacs team, which was decided based on times last year.
But the American, who turns 30 in August, was enthusiastic about what the week showed about the state of his swimming.
“We’ll keep getting quicker,” he said. “It’s a really exciting year, just so much new.” AFP
