Sporting Life

Caeleb Dressel the star swimming needs to sell

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He holds the piece of coloured cloth between his teeth, ties it across his hand, knots it around his medal ribbon. It's always with him and it's part of him, a symbol of love and a reminder of strength.

To you it's just a bandana, to Caeleb Dressel - currently the world's finest swimmer - it's as powerful as a prayer. "There's no worldly possession that means more to me," he says in a March 2018 video on the University of Florida Swimming & Diving Facebook page.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 30, 2019, with the headline Caeleb Dressel the star swimming needs to sell. Subscribe