Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel won the men’s 100m freestyle at the Toyota USA Swimming National Championships for his first top-level race victory since the 2024 Olympic Trials.
“I haven’t seen a one next to my name in a long time, so it feels good,” Dressel said on the NBC Sports broadcast. “I love this sport so much. It feels good to be back swimming, enjoying myself. It feels like freshman year right now, pretty good time for freshman year.”
Dressel clocked 47.70 seconds, his best time since the 2024 Olympic Trials.
He is the joint-third-fastest American this year behind Chris Guiliano (47.38 from March) and Brooks Curry (47.51 from the prelims Tuesday), tied with Jack Alexy.
SWIMMING NATIONALS: Results | Broadcast Schedule
Dressel won Tuesday over a field that included Curry (second in 47.81) and Alexy (seventh in 48.62).
Giuliano and Alexy are preparing for the Pan Pacific Championships two weeks from now in Irvine, which is this year’s major international meet.
Dressel did not make the Pan Pacs roster, which was determined by best times last summer. So nationals is his biggest meet of 2026.
In June 2025, Dressel and wife Meghan welcomed their second child, daughter Josie.
Later last year, Dressel announced he reunited with coach Steve Jungbluth, whom he formerly worked with when Jungbluth was on the University of Florida staff.
“I’ve had to relearn quite a bit,” Dressel, who turns 30 on Aug. 16, said after Tuesday’s win. “Me and Steve like to say, ‘Learn to drive the car.’ I’m pretty good at driving the car, and I’m getting back to what some of my roots are.”
Dressel is also entered to swim the 50m butterfly on Wednesday, the 100m fly on Thursday and the 50m free on Saturday.
Nationals continue Wednesday with finals live at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN.
