Caeleb Dressel sets sights on LA Olympics 2028
Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel has weighed in on his future plans to be a part of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and his interest in taking on a coaching role after his retirement.
After abruptly departing from the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, Dressel took a long break before interacting with the media. He suffered from a mental health issue which kept him away from the pool for about a year.
In an interview with Swinswam, along with his performances at the U.S. World Trials, he also spoke about his plans for the journey ahead of him. With a return to sports, he showed an interest in representing the nation at the LA Olympics in 2028. He said:
"I want to be part of the 2028 Olympics. The idea of having a chance to race in front of my crowd at the Los Angeles Olympics and looking at them cheering for us is very meaningful to me. Swim meets are always held in Europe or in Asia. Having an Olympic in US is truly exceptional"
He also showed interest in taking up a job as a coach after retirement. He said while emitting a chuckle:
"I want to be a coach after retirement. If my racing process doesn’t work out, I will immediately start sending my resume for to grab a job in coaching."
Caeleb Dressel is a distinguished athlete, renowned for exceptional achievements throughout his career. Other than the seven Olympic gold medals to his name, he holds the world records in the 100-meter butterfly (both long and short course), 50-meter freestyle (short course), and 100-meter individual medley (short course).
Caeleb Dressel swims in the nationals after taking a break for mental health issues
Caeleb Dressel returned to competitive swimming in May 2023 after a long battle with mental health issues.
He took part in the U.S. World Trials held in Indianapolis. But unfortunately, he couldn’t participate in the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
In the preliminary round of the 50m freestyle, Dressel achieved a tie for 22nd place. Moreover, in the race for the 50m butterfly, he achieved a commendable third place with a time of 22.35 seconds. But this performance was not sufficient to secure a spot in the qualifying round of the World Championships.