Caeleb Dressel has one of the best Olympic records in history.
His sport is swimming, yet his statistics stand across all of the Games’ disciplines. (And sure, swimming offers more events—and thus more medal possibilities—than, say, marathon running, but Dressel’s superathlete status is irrefutable.)
In 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, the now 27-year-old Floridian won his first two gold medals. At the delayed Tokyo Games, he swam in five races, sweeping with golds. If he adds three more to his collection in Paris—Olympic swimming starts tomorrow—he’ll be the second-winningest Olympian ever, with a total of 10 golds; only the swimmer Michael Phelps clocks higher, at an insane (and likely insurmountable) 23. (The American swimmer Katie Ledecky also has seven golds going into Paris and could also reach the second-highest tally benchmark over the next week.)
Still, after his perfect outing in Japan, Dressel admitted that his progress “wasn’t good enough…for me.” He took eight months away from the pool to assess his mental health—and even considered retiring.
Over a Zoom call with Vogue last week from Croatia, where Dressel and team were acclimating to Central European Time and continuing their training (which normally takes place in Raleigh, North Carolina) ahead of Paris, there were no such long shadows apparent. Dressel’s demeanor was upbeat, even happy-go-lucky.
“I was playing Nintendo right before I came down here,” he admitted.
At six feet three and with an almost gladiatorial physique, Dressel is a freestyle and butterfly specialist who holds world records in both strokes. He’ll swim three races in Paris: the 50-meter freestyle, the 100-meter butterfly, and the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay. The pressure is high, but in the lead-up to the Olympics, Dressel seemed to be focused on soaking up the Games’ gravitas instead of thinking about specific results—almost as if looking at (and feeling) everything anew, even though he is now an elder statesman on the American team.
“With the start of it, in Rio, I was just honestly having a good time,” he said. “I want to try to do that again [in France]. I could’ve done a better job of it in Tokyo.”
He added: “My favorite part of these trips isn’t the competing—it’s the three weeks we’re at camp, getting to know each other. That’s where Team USA becomes Team USA.”
Of his physical preparation, Dressel said, “I do better under tough training. I like it—it helps give me confidence behind the block. I guess you can say that work works.” By his own design, and with the guidance and drive of Anthony Nesty (one of US Swimming’s 2024 coaches), Dressel’s ramp-up to Paris may well have been his most intense yet—but again, he’s intent on enjoying himself this week and is trying to appreciate the perks along the way.
One such benefit: Dressel was tapped by Skims—Kim Kardashian’s shape-, under-, and leisurewear brand—to headline its Olympic-themed advertising campaign. (Skims is an official partner of the Games.) A promo went viral, as Kardashian-adjacent material often does, with Dressel appearing in nothing but boxer briefs—familiar territory to a swimmer.
“I remember in Tokyo, all the girls walking out in all of this really comfy-looking loungewear, and we asked, ‘What is that?’” said Dressel. “And the girls said, ‘Oh, it’s Kim’s brand.’ We were all super jealous.” (Skims launched menswear after the Tokyo Games.) “When my wife, Meghan, was pregnant, she had a couple of the bodysuits, which were lifesavers. I wear the briefs every day.”
Until now, Dressel had never been to Paris. “Oh yeah, I am definitely going to the Eiffel Tower and taking a selfie,” he says. “I’ll be in my undies—just my Skims. I think that’ll make people happy.”
He and Meghan welcomed their first child, a boy named August, in February. While Dressel is not going to be pushing him into anything soon, he does hope his son will have an interest in being active. “I love college football, I have a pickleball court, and I recently moved the basketball hoop I grew up playing on to my house,” Dressel says. “My dad helped trailer it. I want August to be able to play on the same hoop I did.”
As for aquatics, time will tell. Dressel has a test for it, based on his own upbringing: “I like being barefoot, and I don’t like wearing shirts. [If that’s the case,] swimming is the pretty obvious option.”