American swimmer Caeleb Dressel faced a surprising setback in the 100-meter butterfly semifinals, failing to secure a spot in the finals after finishing outside the top four in his heat. This unexpected turn of events comes as a disappointment for Dressel, who had high hopes of clinching four gold medals at the Games.
Dressel, who had already claimed gold with the USA's 4x100m medley relay team, encountered a challenging evening with two consecutive setbacks. Earlier in the day, he placed sixth in the 50-meter freestyle event before missing out on a chance to compete in the 100m butterfly final.
The demanding schedule required Dressel to swim four times in a single day, participating in both morning qualifying rounds and evening semifinals. The intensity of this schedule raises questions about whether fatigue played a role in his performance during the crucial semifinal race.
Despite these setbacks, Dressel's journey at the Games continues, and fans eagerly await his upcoming events as he strives to showcase his exceptional talent and determination in the pool.