adminBUDAPEST. — With Michael Phelps back in retirement, Caeleb Dressel stepped out of his idol’s shadow to match the US legend’s tally of seven golds at the world swimming championships in Budapest.
Dressel became the first swimmer to win three world gold medals in one session on Saturday, then claimed his seventh of the week in the men’s 4x100m medley relay on Sunday to match Phelps’ record tally from the 2007 world championships.
Dressel’s tally includes three individual titles in the 50m, 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly, plus four relays golds in the 4x100m freestyle, 4x100m mixed freestyle, 4x100m mixed medley and Sunday’s 4x100m medley.
It put him level with US legends like Phelps, Ryan Lochte, who won five worlds golds in 2011, and Mark Spitz, who won seven golds at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
“This is probably one of the top-five best swim meets ever by an American male — the other four going to Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.” — AFP.
Online Reporter
Peter Tanyanyiwa