GREEN COVE SPRINGS - After his emotional and controversial exit from the World Swimming Championships in 2022, Clay High graduate and Olympic/World swimming champion and record holder Caeleb Dressel has been popping up in news articles and interviews announcing his "likely" participation in the upcoming U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Indianapolis in July.

Dressel, who won two gold medals at the 2022 World Championships; in a relay and the 50 butterfly, left unceremoniously after scratching from the semifinals of the 100 freestyle.
From there, Dressel has lived his life on a ranch in the Gainesville area and undergoing therapy, telling SWIMSWAM his eight months included hiking, motorcycles and therapy. In 2023, Dressel failed to make the US World Championship team.
Dressel, 27, and now a father of a son, August Wilder, told Forbes magazine that he intended to defend his 50 free and 100 free Olympic titles and his 100 butterfly title from Tokyo and that Indianapolis was the first step.
"I don't like to make any assumptions, so I'm excited for trials, which is in the Colts Stadium," said Dressel in his article for Forbes. "So really excited to see what the pool looks like in person, and then hopefully for 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly my three babies, we'll get up and boogie, and then we'll be good to go to for Paris."
At an April TYR Pro Swim event in San Antonio, Dressel clocked wins in the 100 freestyle in 48.40 to defeat Olympian Ryan Held who was second, but close in 48.48. Dressel's split was far from his American record of 46.96 set in 2019 and his US Open record shared with Held of 47.39. The new world record is now 46.80 by Zhanle Pan of China set in 2024.
In the 50 free final at San Antonio, Dressel finished third behind Gabe Castano, a 26-year-old from Texas, in 21.70 and Held, 28, in 21.68 with Dressel third at 21.85.
In March, Dressel clocked a fast 21.84 to win a TYR Pro event in Westmont to defeat Santo Condorelli of Dallas, second in 21.89.
In the 100 free in Westmont, Dressel finished second in 48.57 with Jack Alexy of California winning in 48.37 and Held third in 48.66.
For the 50 free, Dressel set the American record of 21.04 in 2019 and holds the Pro Swim record of 21.51 set in 2020. The world record set in 2009 by Brazil's Cesar Cielo Filho is an astounding 20.91.
In the 100 butterfly at San Antonio, Dressel tied with a 50.84 split 21-year-old Hubert Kos of Arizona with Eric Friese of the Gator Swim Club that Dressel trains with third at 51.84.
At Westmont, Dressel won the 100 butterfly in 51.27 over Dare Rose of California in 51.77.
Dressel holds the four top records in the event with a 49.45 split for the World and American record set in 2021 and a 49.76 Olympic record also in 2021.
For his swim efforts, Dressel, known for his training ability to use swim meets and training side by side, was pleased with his San Antonio results.
“I have been tracking very well this whole season," said Dressel to Forbes. "I have been really excited about where I am at, some of the fastest times I have gone, so yeah, I hope to carry the momentum up until the end.”
Note: In a SwimmingStats graphic by SWIMSWAM magazine, Dressel was listed on the 2021 World's Highest Paid Athletes at number three behind MMA Fighter Cono McGregor and Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi with a $127 Million ($60M salary/$67M endorsements) of earnings with McGregor at $180 Million and Messi at $130 Million.
After the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Dressel earned $562,000 for five gold medals with the US Government giving him $37,500 per gold medal and USA Swimming awarding him $75,000 for each gold medal.