Olympian Caeleb Dressel expected to return to competition at 2023 Atlanta Classic:  Reports

Caeleb Dressel, the star swimmer of the United States of America, is expected to return to competition in the coming weeks, according to reports. Dressel is considered to be one of the best swimmers of the past decade.

He is set to make his long awaited return to competitive swimming at the 2023 Atlanta Classic, according to SwimSwam. The Olympic gold medalist hasn't participated in competitive swimming since he withdrew midway through the 2022 World Championships.

Caeleb Dressel's withdrawal from the 2022 World Championships was due to medical reasons. The 2022 World Championships were held in Budapest in June. When Dressel competes at the 2023 Atlanta Classic, it would be nearly 11 months since the last time he competed.

Back in March this year, it was widely reported that Caeleb Dressel had returned to training. He was seen training with Florida head coach Anthony Nesty's training group at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center during the TYR Pro Swim Series. According to SwimSwam, this past weekend, Caeleb was also among the U.S. national team members who were seen at USA Swimming's relay camp in Austin.

He has already competed in the Atlanta Classic in 2018, 2019, and 2021. At the 2019 Atlanta Classic, he clocked a time of 47.86 in the 100m freestyle event and 1:56.29 in the 200m butterfly event.

Caeleb Dressel competes in the Men's 100m Butterfly Final on Day 2 of the TYR Pro Swim Series at San Antonio at Northside Swim Center on March 31, 2022

May 1 is the entry deadline for the 2023 Atlanta Classic, according to the aforementioned source. Hence, we can expect the official psych sheets to be released soon. In previous years, the Atlanta Classic has clashed with the Pro Swim Series event, but this time it won't be repeated.

The final leg of the 2023 Pro Swim Series event is scheduled to take place from May 17 to 20. The U.S. National Championships, which will serve as the qualifier for the world championship, is scheduled to take place from June 27 to July 1.

The 2023 Atlanta Classic will be held from May 12 to May 14 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Fans of Caeleb Dressel will be eager to once again witness their favorite swimmer back in action.

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How was Caeleb Dressel's performance at the 2022 World Championships?

Caeleb Dressel withdrew from the 2022 World Championships midway during the championships due to medical reasons. But before his withdrawal, he competed in a few events.

Team USA qualified for the finals of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay at the World Championships by clocking a time of 3:10.80 in the heats. Team USA, which swam in the heats of the relay event, consisted of Hunter Armstrong, Ryan Held, Justin Ress, and Brooks Curry.

In the finals of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay, Caeleb Dressel swam in place of Hunter Armstrong. Team USA clocked a time of 3:09.34. This time of 3:09.34 was more than enough for Team USA to clinch a gold medal.

(L-R) Gold medallists Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Held, Justin Ress, and Brooks Curry of Team United States pose for a photo in the medal ceremony for the Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final on day one of the Budapest 2022 FINA World Championships

Dressel competed in the 50m butterfly event on Day 2 of the 2022 World Championships. In the 50m butterfly event, he clocked a time of 22.57 and finished ahead of Nicholas Santos. This helped Caeleb win his second gold medal at the 2022 World Championships.

Before his withdrawal from the championships, the American swimmer swam in the heats of the 100m freestyle event as well.