All he does is win gold medals: Caeleb Dressel captures 8th gold as anchor of US relay team

Janie McCauley, Associated Press

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Caeleb Dressel touched nan wall and shouted successful triumph. He threw his fists to nan aerial and high-fived U.S. fans during a triumph lap. Then, finally, he recovered his family and gave his woman and babe boy celebratory hugs and kisses.

Dressel only knows nan apical of an Olympic podium successful a dressed up career.

As nan seasoned connected a youthful U.S. men’s aquatics team, Dressel added different relay triumph to his agelong database Saturday night, anchoring nan winning 4×100-meter freestyle foursome arsenic nan Americans hit retired nan rival Australians and scrutinized Chinese.

“Relays are a small much typical to beryllium honest,” Dressel said. “So doing it pinch these guys has been awesome. It takes maine backmost to my first gold. It really doesn’t get old. Really typical opinionated connected nan podium pinch these guys watching nan emblem spell up. I’m highly proud of them. It made my occupation easy.”

Yes, erstwhile Ohio State prima Hunter Armstrong swam a sensational 3rd limb — his divided clocked successful astatine 46.75 seconds — to group up Dressel’s expansive finale sprint to nan wall.

“I decidedly didn’t expect it,” Armstrong said of seeing his time. “I conscionable went in, I will springiness my full assemblage and psyche up for these boys. I knew I had to springiness Caeleb everything I had, truthful I was gladsome I was capable to get my occupation done.”

An affectional Dressel screamed from nan h2o and past again retired of it. He pumped some fists precocious successful nan aerial successful delight earlier moreover stepping up to judge nan latest golden badge placed astir his neck. He held teammate Hunter Armstrong successful a prolonged clasp aft Armstrong swam nan fastest limb to springiness Dressel immoderate wiggle room coming home, past Dressel raised his limb successful hit to chants of “U-S-A!”

Caeleb Dressel, of nan United States, right, and Kyle Chalmers, of Australia, shingle hands aft a power successful nan men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay astatine nan 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, successful Nanterre, France. | Ashley Landis, Associated Press

He now has 8 golds and 5 of those successful relay events — plentifulness to observe little than a period earlier his 28th day Aug. 16.

The Americans took a thigh astir Paris La Defense Arena offering high-fives pinch fans and hugs.

And Dressel quickly made his measurement to find woman Meghan and 5-month-old boy August Wilder, yet spotting them and sprinting complete for a hug and buss earlier taking nan babe successful oversized headphones into his arms.

“It’s really special. Making nan squad successful beforehand of him and past winning a golden successful beforehand of him, conscionable checking small boxes that I ne'er would person thought to create passim my career,” Dressel said. “So that was a really typical 1 tonight.”

Dressel will still effort to take sides his golds from nan Tokyo Olympics successful nan 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle. He besides won nan 100 free and 4×100 medley relay 3 years ago. Dressel captured golds successful nan 2 relays astatine nan 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, too.

The emerging, younger American stars surely could understand nan magnitude of nan infinitesimal Saturday. They besides won nan first U.S. golden of nan Paris Games.

Jack Alexy and Chris Guiliano were nan different 2 connected nan squad thrilled to beryllium portion of Dressel’s astonishing nighttime aft their 3-minute, 9.28-second decorativeness — awkward of nan world grounds they’d truthful dearly sought.

“Truly honored to beryllium portion of this relay and watching Caeleb decorativeness that disconnected for america and making Team USA proud,” said Alexy, nan erstwhile Ohio State prima who swam nan opening leg. “And starting disconnected nighttime 1 pinch a gold.”

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

The United States men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay squad stands connected nan podium aft winning nan golden badge astatine nan 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, successful Nanterre, France. | Matthias Schrader, Associated Press