Former Florida Gator Caeleb Dressel gets the first gold medal for USA at Olympics

Former Florida Gator and swimming sensation Caeleb Dressel secured the first gold medal for the United States at the Paris Olympics by anchoring the winning 4x100-meter freestyle relay team. The victory marked Dressel’s eighth Olympic gold, solidifying his status as a swimming legend.

The American quartet, composed of Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, and Dressel, outpaced Australia and Italy to claim the top spot. The USA finished in a time of 3 minutes 9.28 seconds and beat Australia by over a second. Dressel’s powerful finish ignited a wave of excitement as he celebrated with his teammates.

A visibly emotional Dressel expressed his joy and pride in the team, attributing the victory to their strong camaraderie.

"Relays are a little more special to be honest. So doing it with these guys has been awesome. It takes me back to my first gold. It really doesn't get old. Really special standing on the podium with these guys watching the flag go up. I'm extremely proud of them. It made my job easy."

- Caeleb Dressel

His focus now shifts to defending his individual gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly and 50-meter freestyle events.

During his time with the Gators from 2015 through 2018, Dressel won 10 national titles, four of which came in the 50-yard freestyle. He won his first pair of gold medals in 2016 in Rio while he was still a member of the Gators.

Dressel still lives and trains in Gainesville and is coached by Anthony Nesty, the head coach for the Gators and the head coach for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics.