“What Did I Do Wrong”: Despite 7 Olympic Medals, Swimming Star Caeleb Dressel Reflects on His Vulnerable Side

It is a common belief that sports persons are the most confident people on the planet. What’s more common is the belief that one would gain insane amounts of confidence if their body could maneuver like a sports person. However, world and Olympic swimming Champ Caeleb Dressel recently revealed that this may not always be the case and insecurities rose to the fore.

Caeleb Dressel has already achieved the status of a legend at the young age of 27. Despite this, the American still has a hard time giving himself a break. In fact, a recent social media post saw the 7x Olympic gold medalist shed light on the vulnerabilities he carries in his mind.

The insatiable mind of Caeleb Dressel

Caeleb Dressel recently uploaded a post on his Instagram page wherein he spoke with former Olympic champion swimmers Katie Hoff and Missy Franklin. The duo was recording an episode with Dressel for their Unfiltered Waters Podcast. The video showcased a section of the interview where the 27-year-old spoke up about the insatiable side of his head that keeps gnawing at him.

According to Caeleb Dressel, “The critic did get me to a point that was great and it was fun. Like it would get you through some tough practices. 

While this was the good part about his inner critic, Dressel further added, “But also if it wasn’t under control, and when there was no, use grace and compassion, when there was none of that at all, when even if it’s a world record, the first thing you’re looking for: what did I do wrong?” Caeleb Dressel further said that this has haunted him several times. In fact, even the times when he won Olympic and World Championship medals.

The quest for perfection that doesn’t value medals and records

Continuing further, Caeleb Dressel noted, “I can’t tell you how many swims I had where, whether it was a world championship or an Olympic race. Whether you get first, or it’s a world record. It didn’t matter because what I should have done better overruled and overrides the whole race.” 

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This may seem a little exaggerated, but Caeleb Dressel said that this feeling also gripped him during the Tokyo Olympics. The 27-year-old mentioned, “In Tokyo, I remember the first thing after I touched the wall, I messed up both my turn and my finish.” Notably, the phenom bagged five gold medals in Tokyo. 

This also means that his recent failure to qualify for the 2023 Fukuoka World Championships must have been a crushing experience. Especially since he is the same Caeleb Dressel who has won eight gold medals at a single world championship in 2019. As the 2024 Olympics inch closer, will Dressel be able to defend his Tokyo Glory in Paris?

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