"Been one of my dreams to compete on American soil" - Caeleb Dressel aims for 2028 LA Games after three-medal victory at Paris Olympics

By Janhavi Shinde

Modified Aug 26, 2024 06:57 GMT

Freshly off his victories at the Paris Olympics, the USA's Caeleb Dressel has his sights set on Los Angeles 2028. He secured three medals in his third Olympic appearance at the 2024 Games, a gold each in the men's 4x100m freestyle and mixed 4x100m medley team events.

In the 4x100m freestyle, Dressel swam the last leg, clocking 47.53 seconds to surpass the Australian and Italian squads' 3:10.35 and 3:10.70, respectively.

During a recent interaction with the media at Daytona International Speedway, Dressel revealed his goal of competing in the 50m freestyle event at the 2028 Games before hanging up his goggles. The 28-year-old secured a gold medal in the event at the 2020 Games, clocking 21.07 seconds.

“It has always been one of my dreams to compete on American soil at a championship meet. So, yes, my eyes are on 2028,” Dressel said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a full-event lineup. I think maybe just the 50 (meters) free(style), put a little bit more muscle on, don’t have to be in as good a shape. So, maybe look forward to just doing the splash-and-dash. That might be a good time for me.”

Dressel's 100m butterfly campaign in the French capital this year ended in the semifinals after he placed 13th.

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Caeleb Dressel on displaying a below-par performance in individual events at the Paris Olympics

Caeleb Dressel didn't come close to podium finishes in the individual events he competed in at the Paris Olympics. He finished sixth in the 50m freestyle, posting 21.61 seconds, and fell short of earning a spot in the 100m butterfly final with a time of 51.57 seconds.

Caeleb Dressel competes during the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Photo via Getty Images)

Dressel reflected on his performances in an interview with The Guardian and said:

“It was very obviously not my best work. But the racing has been really fun here. Walking out for the 50 (meter) and the 100 (meter) (butter)fly, it was special. I don’t want to ever forget that. I’d like to be quicker, obviously. Not my week, that’s all right. I’d like to be performing better, but I’m not."

"I trained to go faster than the times I’m going. I know that. So, yeah. It’s tough, a little heartbreaking. A little heartbreaking for sure," he added.

Apart from his two gold medals, Dressel also won a silver in the men's 4x100m medley along with the American team at Paris 2024.