Caeleb Dressel

A nine-time Olympic gold medalist, Caeleb Dressel made an immediate impact on the swimming world, becoming the youngest swimmer in history to break the 19-second barrier in the 50-yard freestyle in 2013. That same year, he earned six medals, including gold in the 100-meter freestyle, at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships. Dressel claimed his first Olympic gold medal as part of the 4×100 meter freestyle relay at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2018, he made history by becoming the first swimmer to break the 18-second barrier in the 50-yard freestyle, the 40-second barrier in the 100-yard freestyle, and the 43-second barrier in the 100-yard butterfly in yards swimming history.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Dressel secured five gold medals, a feat that made him only the fifth American to achieve this in a single Olympic Games. His exceptional performance was recognized with the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award in 2021, and he was subsequently named Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Year. In 2022, he earned two more gold medals at the World Championships.

Most recently, at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Dressel contributed to two gold medals in the 4×100 freestyle relay and 4×100 mixed medley relay, alongside a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay.