U.S. Olympic trials: Caeleb Dressel, on long road back to the top of swimming, qualifies in 50 free

Caeleb Dressel will defend at least one of his individual Olympic gold medals in Paris this summer.

Dressel, on the third-to-last night of U.S. swimming trials, won the 50-meter freestyle, and clinched a spot in the event at the 2024 Games.

It was Dressel's second of three finals this week in Indianapolis. In the first, the 100-meter free, he finished third, earning an Olympic spot on the U.S. 4x100 relay team but not in the event as an individual.

His third and final event will be the 100-meter butterfly this week.

Dressel, now 27, won five gold medals in Tokyo. At the following summer's world championships, he won the 14th and 15th worlds golds of his decorated career. But then, with more medals on the table, he pulled out of the meet on unspecified medical grounds. He took months off from swimming. He returned to the pool in 2023, but didn't make the U.S. team for that summer's worlds. All in all, he went roughly 17 months without winning a race.

But throughout 2023 and 2024, he worked his way back toward the top of his sport. He earned his first win last December. He entered trials in a good place, mentally, with a smile on his face.

He is not back to his 2019 or 2021 best. But he is going back to the Olympics.

In Friday's 50 free, he swam a 21.41, 0.28 seconds ahead of second-place Chris Giuliano.