Former UF All-American Caeleb Dressel dominated at the 2019 FINA World Championships in South Korea. (File photo)
Dressel Produces Record-Setting Performance at 2019 FINA World Championships
Sunday, July 28, 2019 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
GWANGJU, South Korea -- Former UF national champion Caeleb Dressel shined at the 2019 FINA World Championships with a record-setting performance during the eight-day competition.
One of eight current or former Gators competing in the event, Dressel finished the World Championships with a record eight medals, tallying six golds and two silvers. At the 2017 World Championships, Dressel secured seven golds, tying Michael Phelps' 2007 mark for the most gold medals at a World Championship. Individually, Dressel swept all four of his events.
On the first day of competition, he swam the 50 fly, posting a prelim time of 22.84 seconds before setting an event and American record in the semifinals in a time of 22.57 later that same day. Dressel shattered that record the following day, capturing a time of 22.35 in the finals while becoming the first American to ever win the 50 fly at the event.
After having a few days between finals, Dressel returned July 25 with an American-record swim of 46.96 in the 100 free, just .05 from a world record. The Gator alum defended his 100-free title that he captured during the 2017 World Championships.
Dressel won his last two individual events in record fashion.
He started by etching his name in the world-record books with a swim of 49.50 seconds in the 100 fly semifinal, topping the previous record held by Phelps, who swam a 49.82 in 2009. The Gator Great posted a 49.66 in the finals, which is the second-fastest 100-fly swim in history, and earned his third individual gold. His last individual medal came after swimming a Championship-record mark of 21.04 in the 50 free. He won his last individual two events less than one hour apart from each other.
Dressel earned half his medals in relay events, winning his first medal of this year's championships by leading-off Team USA's 4x100 free relay team with a spilt of 47.63. The team earned a gold medal with a new championship record swim of 3:09.06. His second gold came in world-record fashion as Team USA's 4x100 free mixed medley posted the fastest swim ever with a combined time of 3:19.40. The 2018 grad added a spilt of 47.34. Dressel's pair of silver medals came in the 4x100 mixed medley and the men's 4x100 medley.
Former Gators Enzo Martinez-Scarpe and Jan Switkowski competed in their second FINA World Championships after competing at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest. Martinez-Scrape competed in the 50 and 100 free, finishing in 62nd and 47th, respectively. In Switkowski's lone event, the 200 fly, he finished in 21st in an effort of 1:57.58.
Rising senior Khader Baqlah competed in three individual events for his home country, Jordan. In the 200 free, he posted a swim of 1:47.72 and additionally tallied a swim of 3:51.59 in the 400 free and earned a 34th-place nod in the 100 free with a swim of 49.46.
Jorge Depassier, representing Chile, joined Baqlah in the 200 free, finishing the event in 1:53.62. Depassier also joined fellow Gators Dressel and Martinez in the 50 free a few days later and earned an 82nd-place finish in a time of 24.29.
The Gators' 2023 graduating class gained valuable experience at this year's games as Brennan Gravely, Page Advait and Chade Nersicio all took part in the competition. Gravely was the lone Gator to compete in the outdoor water events, earning a 14th-place finish in the 5km (53:37.80) and a 15th-place nod in the 25 km (4:57:17.50). Advait hit the water in the 800 free and posted a time of 8:10.35, for a 29th-place finish while Nersicio tallied a mark of 28.45 in the 50 fly and finished 41st overall.
Full 2019 FINA World Championships results can be found here.
Dressel's Gold Medals:
50 Fly: 22.35 ^*
50 Free: 21.04^
100 Fly: 49.66
100 Free: 46.96*
4x100 Free Relay: 3:09.06^
4x100 Free Mixed Medley: 3:19.40%
^- Championship record *-American record %-World Record
Gators' Results:
Advait: 29th-place 800 Free (8:10.35)
Baqlah: 22nd-place 200 Free (1:47.72)
21st-place 400 Free (3:51.59)
34th-place 100 Free (49.46)
Depassier: 53rd-place 200 Free (24.29)
82nd-place 50 Free (24.29)
Dressel: 1st-place 50 Fly (22.35)
1st-place 50 Free (22.35)
1st-place 100 Fly (49.66)
1st-place 100 Free (49.96)
1st-place 4x100 Free Relay (3:09.06 / 47.63 split)
1st-place Free Mixed Medley Relay (3:19.40 / 47.34)
2nd-place 4x100 Mixed Medley Relay (3:39.10 / 49.33 split)
2nd-place Men's Mixed Medley (3:28.81 / 49.28 split)
Gravely: 14th-place outdoor 5 km (53.37.80)
15th-place outdoor 25km (4:57:17.50)
Martinez-Scarpe: 47th-place 50 free (22.87)
62nd-place 100 free (50.99)
Nersicio: 41st-place 50 fly (28.45)
Switkowski: 21st-place 200 fly (1:57.58)
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One of eight current or former Gators competing in the event, Dressel finished the World Championships with a record eight medals, tallying six golds and two silvers. At the 2017 World Championships, Dressel secured seven golds, tying Michael Phelps' 2007 mark for the most gold medals at a World Championship. Individually, Dressel swept all four of his events.
❗️ @caelebdressel concludes the 2019 FINA World Championships with six 🥇 and two 🥈❗️
— Gators Swimming & Diving (@GatorsSwimDv) July 28, 2019
He becomes the first swimmer to win eight medals at a World Championship#GatorsAlways 🐊🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/qNk8Ibfm7u
On the first day of competition, he swam the 50 fly, posting a prelim time of 22.84 seconds before setting an event and American record in the semifinals in a time of 22.57 later that same day. Dressel shattered that record the following day, capturing a time of 22.35 in the finals while becoming the first American to ever win the 50 fly at the event.
After having a few days between finals, Dressel returned July 25 with an American-record swim of 46.96 in the 100 free, just .05 from a world record. The Gator alum defended his 100-free title that he captured during the 2017 World Championships.
Dressel won his last two individual events in record fashion.
He started by etching his name in the world-record books with a swim of 49.50 seconds in the 100 fly semifinal, topping the previous record held by Phelps, who swam a 49.82 in 2009. The Gator Great posted a 49.66 in the finals, which is the second-fastest 100-fly swim in history, and earned his third individual gold. His last individual medal came after swimming a Championship-record mark of 21.04 in the 50 free. He won his last individual two events less than one hour apart from each other.
🚨New Record Alert🚨@caelebdressel sets a new WORLD RECORD in the 100 fly with a semifinal swim of 49.50 at the #Gwangju2019 World Championships! #GatorsAlways 🐊🇺🇸🔥 pic.twitter.com/1Y9P01QwBe
— Gators Swimming & Diving (@GatorsSwimDv) July 26, 2019
Dressel earned half his medals in relay events, winning his first medal of this year's championships by leading-off Team USA's 4x100 free relay team with a spilt of 47.63. The team earned a gold medal with a new championship record swim of 3:09.06. His second gold came in world-record fashion as Team USA's 4x100 free mixed medley posted the fastest swim ever with a combined time of 3:19.40. The 2018 grad added a spilt of 47.34. Dressel's pair of silver medals came in the 4x100 mixed medley and the men's 4x100 medley.
Former Gators Enzo Martinez-Scarpe and Jan Switkowski competed in their second FINA World Championships after competing at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest. Martinez-Scrape competed in the 50 and 100 free, finishing in 62nd and 47th, respectively. In Switkowski's lone event, the 200 fly, he finished in 21st in an effort of 1:57.58.
Rising senior Khader Baqlah competed in three individual events for his home country, Jordan. In the 200 free, he posted a swim of 1:47.72 and additionally tallied a swim of 3:51.59 in the 400 free and earned a 34th-place nod in the 100 free with a swim of 49.46.
Jorge Depassier, representing Chile, joined Baqlah in the 200 free, finishing the event in 1:53.62. Depassier also joined fellow Gators Dressel and Martinez in the 50 free a few days later and earned an 82nd-place finish in a time of 24.29.
The Gators' 2023 graduating class gained valuable experience at this year's games as Brennan Gravely, Page Advait and Chade Nersicio all took part in the competition. Gravely was the lone Gator to compete in the outdoor water events, earning a 14th-place finish in the 5km (53:37.80) and a 15th-place nod in the 25 km (4:57:17.50). Advait hit the water in the 800 free and posted a time of 8:10.35, for a 29th-place finish while Nersicio tallied a mark of 28.45 in the 50 fly and finished 41st overall.
Full 2019 FINA World Championships results can be found here.
Dressel's Gold Medals:
50 Fly: 22.35 ^*
50 Free: 21.04^
100 Fly: 49.66
100 Free: 46.96*
4x100 Free Relay: 3:09.06^
4x100 Free Mixed Medley: 3:19.40%
^- Championship record *-American record %-World Record
Gators' Results:
Advait: 29th-place 800 Free (8:10.35)
Baqlah: 22nd-place 200 Free (1:47.72)
21st-place 400 Free (3:51.59)
34th-place 100 Free (49.46)
Depassier: 53rd-place 200 Free (24.29)
82nd-place 50 Free (24.29)
Dressel: 1st-place 50 Fly (22.35)
1st-place 50 Free (22.35)
1st-place 100 Fly (49.66)
1st-place 100 Free (49.96)
1st-place 4x100 Free Relay (3:09.06 / 47.63 split)
1st-place Free Mixed Medley Relay (3:19.40 / 47.34)
2nd-place 4x100 Mixed Medley Relay (3:39.10 / 49.33 split)
2nd-place Men's Mixed Medley (3:28.81 / 49.28 split)
Gravely: 14th-place outdoor 5 km (53.37.80)
15th-place outdoor 25km (4:57:17.50)
Martinez-Scarpe: 47th-place 50 free (22.87)
62nd-place 100 free (50.99)
Nersicio: 41st-place 50 fly (28.45)
Switkowski: 21st-place 200 fly (1:57.58)
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