"Welcome back pal"; "Don't mess with him" - Swimming fraternity and fans react to Caeleb Dressel's triumph at US Open Championships 2023

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist, Caeleb Dressel, displayed his swimming proficiency at the 2023 Toyota US Open Championships, held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, from November 29 to December 2, 2023.

The 27-year-old, whose preferred events include freestyle, butterfly, and individual medley, secured a gold medal in the men's 100m butterfly event. Dressel clocked an impressive time of 51.31 seconds to leave behind Ilya Kharuna and Josh Liendo, who completed the races with a narrow margin, recording 51.32 seconds and 51.42 seconds, respectively.

During the 2022 FINA World Championships held in Budapest, Hungary, Dressel withdrew from the competition, stating an undisclosed reason. He took a break from the sport to focus on his mental health, only to return in 2023 at the Atlanta Classic.

Dressel recorded his fastest 50m freestyle time in the long course meet since April 2022. He recorded a time of 21.99 seconds in the men's 50m freestyle, leaving behind Matt King in the B final.

The swimming fraternity and the fans couldn't stop gushing over Dressel's comeback victory and wrote laudatory messages for him.

The three-time Olympic gold medalist, Rowdy Gaines, wrote:

"Welcome back, pal. We missed ya."

To which a fan replied:

"Dude is built differently."

Another fan expressed their contentment with the swimmer's return, saying:

"He looked so happy. That’s what we’ve all been hoping for him."

Another fan compared Dressel to the fictional character 'Reacher', saying:

"I am such a fan of Caleb Dressel. He’s like the “Reacher“ of swimming, just bad ass, and don’t mess with him."

Here are a few other reactions:

"We’re in a good spot," Caeleb Dressel expresses his content on displaying a exemplary performance since his comeback

Caeleb Dressel looks on before the Men's 100m Freestyle Prelims at the 2023 Toyota US Open at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Caeleb Dressel recorded 21.99 seconds in the 50m freestyle event, his best time after a year since his return. The American swimmer's best time in the event this year was 22.57 seconds.

During an interview with the peacock, he expressed his joy by saying:

“It’s always exciting to see fast times.”

“We’re in a good spot. ... Probably a little quicker than I thought I would be at this point in the season," he added.

He also spoke about his decision to take a step away from the sport he loves to prioritize his mental health.