Caeleb Dressel splits 26.15 in 2nd 50 to win 100 fly at Atlanta Classic 😱

2024 SPEEDO ATLANTA CLASSIC DRIVEN BY JIM ELLIS CADILLAC

When Caeleb Dressel swam 48.30 in the 100 free Thursday at the Speedo Atlanta Classic, it was his fastest time since his mid-Worlds demise in 2022 which was followed by a big hiatus.

When he won the 100 fly Friday in 51.38, it wasn’t as significant. He’s been faster this year: a month ago in San Antonio, he swam 50.84.

But in some ways, this swim could have been even more significant than his 100 freestyle. His split saw him discharged at 25:23 and returned home at 26:15. While 51.38 won’t win any Olympic medals, closing in 26.15 will.

Here’s a split comparison of when Dressel broke the world record at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games:

Milak’s time of 26.03 in Tokyo is considered the fastest back half time ever in a (serious) 50 fly race.

When his encounter is cobbled together in its entirety, there is something to see here. A better return time in the 100m freestyle. A time of 1:47.38 in the 200 free earlier in the session was the third best of his career, with a split of 52.84-54.54, another fast split. And then these 100 flies.

Dressel is about playing, tinkering, refining. He has the confidence to know that “going as fast as he can” may not be the only goal, and “trying something” might be just as valuable. A playful Dressel, a DIY Dressel, is the Dressel we saw when he was at the peak of his swimming career.

With the Olympic trials a month away, it’s a positive sign for a swimmer who was at the top of the swimming world two years ago. This does not guarantee success in June or, more importantly, July and August, but it is a sign that the pieces are falling into place for that success to come to fruition.

Race video: