Michael Phelps’ Absence Put Immense Pressure on Caeleb Dressel at Tokyo Olympics Trials: ‘I Couldn’t Eat’

The Tokyo Olympics was a sight for sore eyes. Caeleb Dressel, America’s swimming sweetheart, had a rather tumultuous time though. When it comes to competitive swimming, the absence of a legendary swimmer can put a great deal of pressure on the person in front of them, especially when it’s a mentor you look up to. In the lead-up to the Olympics in Tokyo 2020, Caeleb Dressel, who won five gold medals, was under plenty of tension. The fact that Michael Phelps, the best swimmer of all time, was not present contributed to this extreme strain.

While Dressel’s career reached new heights at the Olympics in Tokyo, the road to that achievement was paved with severe mental stressors. The physical well-being of Dressel was impacted, as he acknowledged, by the intolerable weight of expectations. He told his father, Michael Dressel, “I couldn’t eat and I couldn’t poop for like three or four days.” With Phelps out of the picture, attention shifted to Dressel, the fresh face of swimming in America. Christina, Dressel’s mother, talked about the enormous hopes her son was given. “You go to Trials and there’s a building that is—the whole wall is Caeleb. And it’s like, ‘Oh, no pressure here, Caeleb,'” she remarked.

Dressel faced physical along with mental challenges. Stress showed up in terrible ways that interfered with his day-to-day activities. Dressel’s father recalled him saying. “Even there he told me, ‘You know, dad, I couldn’t eat and I couldn’t poop for like three or four days.’ I mean it’s just [a] crazy amount of pressure. … These are kids.” Dressel’s mental wellness suffered greatly as a result of the intense pressure to step into Phelps’ position.

Furthermore, Dressel wrote openly about his troubles in his training notebook, which revealed the psychological toll. “F— me, f—ing terrible. My body is done,'” Dressel remarked. His statements accurately conveyed the difficulty he was under. Due to Dressel’s openness regarding his mental health, the public was given the chance to see the less glamorous and frequently depressing side of competitive sports.

Dressel pushed despite these obstacles, and it paid off. He qualified for and performed admirably at the Tokyo Olympics, taking home 5x gold medals. But even in his victories, Dressel battled with the expectations he placed on himself. Despite his amazing accomplishments, he acknowledged that he had not met any of his goal times. “That’s not fair to myself. Like I just won five gold medals on the biggest world stage in sports, and I’m thinking about how I wish I would’ve gone faster in certain events,” Caeleb Dressel thought to himself. However, things need to be overcome for big games.

Caeleb Dressel’s route ahead of the Paris Olympics

Dressel experienced more mental health issues after the Olympics in Tokyo, which prompted him to halt swimming for eight months in August 2022. He needed this time off to heal physically and psychologically. During this time, Dressel’s gameplay fell, and he was left off of the American lineup for the 2023 world championships. Dressel is now training for the Paris Olympics with newfound vigor despite these setbacks. Self-discovery and medical attention have been key parts of his return journey.  “A double-edged sword.” Considering the Olympic success the 27-year-old stated, “I would say it gives me confidence, knowing that I’ve done it before, but then also a lot of pressure that comes with having to do it again.”

Moreover, the motivation behind the American swimmer’s comeback is a fresh outlook. Now that Caeleb Dressel is a father, his life feels more in balance. Dressel has been able to regain his enthusiasm for the sport by learning how to handle the pressures of competition with the assistance of his coaches and therapist. His recent performances indicate he is headed in the right direction, as his timings continue to get better. Still, his performance at the May Atlanta Classic was even more noteworthy. With a remarkable 26.15 split in the second 50, Dressel demonstrated his tremendous skill by swimming the 100 fly in 51.38 seconds.

However, less attention and less pressure are on Dressel as he prepares for the U.S. Olympic swimming trials at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium. But what makes him interesting to watch is the unknowable nature of his ongoing powers. Anthony Nesty, his coach, said, “You could tell he was ready to start the journey again.” In the following Paris Games, Dressel’s resolve may be crucial for Team USA. Undoubtedly, Caeleb Dressel’s drive to Paris will be interesting to follow as he attempts to regain his position among the best in the world.