Team USA fans have made their feelings known about Caeleb Dressel’s terrible showing at the Olympics, with many claiming the decorated swimmer is now “done.”
Dressel had a long day of swimming, finishing 13th in the men’s 100m butterfly semi-final with a time of 51.57. His performance in Friday’s event is a significant improvement on his world record of 49.45 set at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
In an unusual ending, users took to social media to express their frustration at its decline.
“Caleb Dressel, focus on the game, Lochte and Phelps are watching right now,” one user wrote.
“It’s tough watching Caleb Dressel swim and realizing in real time that one of the greats just doesn’t have what he used to have,” another added.
Fans claimed Caeleb Dressel is “clean” after a tough day of swimming on Friday
The eight-time Olympic gold medalist has not won any medals in individual races in Paris.
More fans reacted by pointing out how “washed up” the American is, as the adjective was used repeatedly in tweets addressing his loss.
“It hurts to see Dressel washed up,” said a third user, while a fourth insisted: “Caeleb Dressel is so washed up, wtf…”
“Dressel is done. This whole swim team needs an overhaul,” suggested a fifth.
Prior to his 13th-place finish, Dressel placed sixth in the men’s 50m freestyle final. He also swam in the semi-final of the 4x100m medley relay (where his team placed first) and in the quarter-finals of the men’s 100m butterfly, where he placed sixth and advanced.
Dressel led Team USA to a gold medal in the men’s 4×100 relay on Saturday.
After winning five golds at the Tokyo Games, Dressel has had a disappointing performance this year.
Fans took to social media to express their feelings about his regression.
Their lackluster individual performances come after Dressel anchored the Americans in the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay to secure gold to start his campaign.
Dressel’s regression began to show on Thursday, when he finished 13th in the quarterfinals of the men’s 50m freestyle. However, he finished fifth in the semifinals before losing in the final.
The Green Cove Springs, Florida, native won five golds in Tokyo and two in Rio de Janeiro. That may have been his crowning moment, however, as his Paris campaign was marred by disappointment.