![]() “I got myself an Olympic medal,” Fratus said. He missed out on a medal at the 2012 London Olympics by just two-hundredths of a second, and came up short again five years ago in his home country. When he saw his time and, more important, the “1” beside his name, he splashed the water and flexed his bulging arms.įrance’s Florent Manaudou repeated as the Olympic silver medalist in 21.55, followed by Brazil’s Bruno Fratus in 21.57.Īt the age of 32, Fratus felt like a winner. In a race usually decided by a few hundredths of a second, he touched a half-body length ahead of the field in an Olympic record of 21.07 seconds. The last morning at the pool started with another romp in the 50 free - Dressel’s third individual title of the games.Īfter diving in, he used his dolphin-like underwater technique to pop out of the water with the clear lead, just as he always does. Otherwise, his time in Tokyo was perfect.Ī win in the 4×100 free relay. Not even Dressel could make up such a daunting deficit. In a race featuring two men and two women, the Americans tried a different lineup than everyone else, which left Dressel more than 8 seconds behind when he took over on the anchor leg. The only event Dressel failed to win all week was the new 4×100 mixed medley relay, though that was no fault on his own. Mirroring Dressel’s final day, McKeon won the 50 free and took the butterfly leg on the Aussies’ winning effort in the women’s 4×100 medley relay. The only other woman to win seven - in any sport - was Soviet gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya, who claimed two golds and five silvers at the 1952 Helsinki Games. Phelps, Spitz and Biondi are the only male swimmers to capture seven medals overall at an Olympics. Many of the retired swimming greats come up again to provide some perspective on McKeon’s performance in Tokyo. “I’m pretty over swimming at the moment.” “It’s not the most enjoyable process, but it is worth it,” he said. ![]() Make room for Dressel, who made it look so easy. There’s also Mark Spitz (seven golds in 1972), East German Kristin Otto (six golds in 1988) and Matt Biondi (five golds, also in ’88). Michael Phelps did it three times, of course, highlighted by his record eight golds at the 2008 Beijing Games. By the time Dressel was done, he had entered an elite club of swimmers who won at least five gold medals at one games. In his first race Sunday, he cruised to a relatively easy victory in the 50 freestyle. “I give myself a pat on the back and then I just want to go home, put it away and move forward,” Dressel said. He doesn’t plan to savor his triumph for long - which is right on par for a guy who said a day earlier “the sport was a lot more fun when no one knew my name.” “I’m very proud of myself.”ĭressel was perfect in the events he had a chance in, capping off his stunning week in the final race at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre by putting the Americans ahead to stay in the 4×100 medley relay on their way to a world record. “It’s going to take a little bit to sink in,” said McKeon, a 27-year-old from Brisbane. Four of them were gold, the other three bronze. McKeon won two more golds and became the first female swimmer - and second woman in any sport - to claim seven medals at one Olympics. “I’m really glad to be done,” said the tattooed, 24-year-old Floridian, who captured his fourth and fifth gold medals of the Tokyo Games on Sunday.Īustralia’s Emma McKeon put her own remarkable stamp on the record book with a staggering haul of hardware. The guy who dreads all the attention won’t be able to escape it now. TOKYO - Caeleb Dressel finished off his gold rush at the Tokyo Olympics with two more dazzling swims. Caeleb Dressel, of the United States, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s 50-meter freestyle final at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Sunday in Tokyo, Japan.
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