After Caeleb Dressel’s Withdrawal at World Championships, 23-Year-Old Swimming Prodigy Aims to Thrash Long-Standing Record

The year 2023 has not been kind to Caeleb Dressel. After failing to qualify for the FINA World Championships in early July, he is in for yet another blow. The 26-year-old American legend is the current world record holder in the 100m butterfly event. But it looks like his record may be in jeopardy. A strong contender has emerged, hoping to break Dressel’s long-standing record. With impressive performances in recent competitions, this young athlete is determined to snatch the record from Dressel.

Kristof Milak of the Hungarian Swim Team has set his eyes on the 100m butterfly world record held by Dressel. Milak’s consistent improvement and exceptional speed have made him a formidable opponent. As the competition draws near, all eyes will be on him. Milak’s chances look good, especially in the absence of Caeleb Dressel to defend his record.

Kristof Milak’s Quest for Butterfly Glory

Kristof Milak is looking forward to exerting his dominance in the 200m butterfly event at the World Championships in Fukuoka. He is the current record holder in the event and hopes to reset this record with a better time. His current record is 01:50.34.that he created in the 2019 World Championships. He had then managed to break the legendary swimmer Michael Phelps’ long-standing record of 1:51.51 in the event. Besides Phelps, Milak is the only other swimmer to have finished the 200m butterfly under the 1:52s time limit. However, the Hungarian athlete is not satisfied and wants to lower the time to below 1.50 in Japan.

Milak is also entering the competition as the reigning champion in the 100m butterfly. However, he does not have the world record in the event. That belongs to Caeleb Dressel, who made history by finishing the race in 49.45 at the 2020 Olympics. Milak ranks second with a time of 50.14s. According to Olympics.com, “With Dressel absent from Fukuoka 2023, the ambitious Hungarian could seize the opportunity to make more history in the men’s butterfly”. Milak has consistently shown his skill in the event and achieved better results. He definitely has a shot at breaking the record, especially with the recent change in his coach.

Milak Changed Mentor To Train For Records

Milak is obsessed with shattering the records of other athletes. In fact, this obsession even led to Milak changing his coach. His new coach Balazs Virth replaced his previous coach Attila Selmeci, with a promise to help Milak achieve his goal of surpassing Dressel’s butterfly records. The Hungarian legend explained his decision in an exclusive with RemoNews, saying, “I felt it would be better for me to change, I could prepare myself more effectively”.

Read More: Suffering From Mental Health Horrors, America’s Swimming Favorite Caeleb Dressel Signs Off World Trials With a ‘Positive’ Note: “Everybody Deals With It Differently”

In the same interview, he also gave an update about his training saying his timing has been getting better. He proclaimed his ambition saying, “My goals for next year are to keep getting better results and to break records”. Now it remains to see if Milak can fulfill his dream at the 2023 World Championships.

Watch This Story: Sha’Carri Richardson Gets Green Flag for World Championships as Olympic Athlete Won the Women’s 100m in USA Track and Field Championships