Men’s 100m free

Swimming under 48sec is something all sprinter dreams of – initially. When they break this barrier, then came the chase for lower 47s efforts. But those territories remain unchartered waters for most of them. And if you have a look at the all-time top performances list, only two names appear on it twice among the top ten. World record holder Cesar Cielo (BRA) and 2008 Olympic champion Alain Bernard (FRA) who really took advantage of the shiny era in 2009 and could produce two super-fast swims in the super-suits. Everyone else could deliver one really big blast and could never repeat that huge swim again. 

Up until today.

Even if the final was held in the morning, 2017 and 2019 world champion Caeleb Dressel from the US and title-holder Australian Kylie Chalmers really went for it. The first 50m was determined by Dressel’s astonishingly powerful starting dive, which usually gives him half body-lengths advantage upon surfacing – he turned first but the second half belonged to Chalmers whose tremendous finishing speed brought him closer and closer to his American arch-rival. He gained 0.26sec back but was still 0.06sec shy at the wall which Dressel reached first, denying the Aussie’s title-defence campaign. Full results

It would have been the first one since Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband’s back-to-back golds from 2000 and 2004 and the 5th ever repetition in the event’s history. Instead, Dressel crowned his run in this Olympic cycle by adding the ultimate title to his victories from Budapest and Gwangju. Looking at his speed and shape and the fact that the next Games are just three years away, he is well set to become the first US sprinter to retain the Olympic crown since… guess… yepp, believe it or not, it was the mighty Johnny Weissmuller who could make that double in 1924 and 1928 for the last time among the American greats.

So Dressel on 47.02, 4th fastest ever, and Chalmers, 47.08, tying his 2019 effort, shall appear twice on that Top 10 performances list – the only ones who have been able to achieve that in the textile era, so far.

We witnessed a handful of quite promising youngsters making a major final for the first time, among them ROC’s Kliment Kolesnikov was the fastest to claim the bronze medal. The Russian rocket found a new hunting territory after clocking WRs in succession in the 50m back – though it was somewhat telling that while the top two brought his very best to the pool, the others struggled to repeat their earlier speedings. Kolesnikov clocked 47.44, 0.33 slower than his qualifying time (and 0.1 off his space which earned him the European title in May). Romania’s new top gun David Popovici arrived at Tokyo as the world-rank leader with 47.31, his winning time just three weeks ago at the junior Europeans in Rome. That would have given him the bronze – now he had to settle for the 7th place with 48.04. Lesson learnt perhaps: for 16-year-old youngsters it can be a bit overwhelming to excel in the Olympic arena upon their debut.

"I wasn't worried about anything” Dressel said. “During the race there's only so much you can do, whatever's going to happen is going to happen. I stuck to my race plan so if it got me first, OK; if it got me second, OK. I wouldn't have changed a thing about that race. That's what I had in that moment and I executed it."

For Dressel, this was his first individual Olympic title.

"It means a lot. I knew that weight was on my shoulders - I'd won (Olympic) relay medals but never individual, so it was really special. It is different. I didn't want to admit it but now that I did it, I can. It's a lot different – you can't rely on anyone else. It's just you and the water, there's no one there to bail you out. It's tough. I don’t want to surpass any moment because I’m used to it. I don’t want to get immune to the feeling racing offers me, I want to enjoy it.”

On the mounting pressure, he also shared some thoughts. “I’m good at putting a face on. The pressure is fine. When you turn it into stress that’s when it becomes a problem. My first couple of swims I was turning the pressure into stress. But in the semi-final and the 100 free, I started to find my rhythm.”

He was also keen to talk about his rivalry with Kyle Chalmers whom he already beat at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju.

"It's so fun going with Kyle – I mean, every time we make it good. It's really fun to watch when we go head-to-head. I've got nothing but respect for him. In 2016 he won the gold medal in Rio, I found out who he was really quick."

Chalmers shared that view as well. “Caeleb and I have a pretty fierce rivalry. We do enjoy racing against each other. We bring the best out in each other, and it’s a relief to get it done with for now.”

The Aussie had to go through some tough periods ever since becoming champion in Rio. “It’s really been a roller-coaster five years. After Rio, I felt untouchable. But then reality sunk in and I didn’t swim too well after a little while. This year has been a real challenge, because at the start of 2020, I was swimming so well, I was swimming so fast, and it all got postponed. I got back in the pool, pushed too hard, and had my shoulder injury. I swim through a lot of pain. There are those days when I’m not able to do what I want to do because of my shoulder, still. That has probably been the biggest challenge for me, when I can’t get in the water or have a setback and have to get cortisone shots. It’s two steps forward and one step back.

“There have been plenty of moments when I thought it wasn’t possible for me to be in the Olympics, let alone in finals, let alone getting my best time. It’s been an emotional roller-coaster and one I’ve struggled with, the anxiety that comes with injuries.”