Ding-dong! Caeleb Dressel, Katie Ledecky, Regan Smith can deliver at swimming nationals
In a pep talk before last year's U.S. swimming trials, University of Florida coach Anthony Nesty told his pupils to perform like pizza delivery drivers arriving at one's door. "Ding-dong!" he told them. It was time to deliver on their months of training to make the world championships team.
"Ding-dong!" became a rallying cry for a Gainesville-based group that included many of America's best. As of last Thursday, Nesty had not decided on his next speech. Nevertheless, it's time to deliver at this week's nationals in Indianapolis, where the top two in most events qualify for July's worlds in Fukuoka, Japan.
Caeleb Dressel, the five-time Tokyo Olympic champion who trains with Nesty's Gators, is in a unique situation.
He withdrew during last June's worlds on unspecified medical grounds. After that, he spoke publicly about the sport for the first time in a Sept. 4 social media post.
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“I haven’t swam since worlds and can honestly say I have been happy without swimming,” Dressel shared then. “I really miss it though. ... I know I can have swimming and happiness. I had them both at one point in my life and I’m working on it. If you need a break, take one. I’ll be back.”
Nesty said that Dressel returned to training with the UF group in late January or early February. Slowly at first and ramping toward a full workload after nine or 10 weeks. He competed for the first time in mid-May. He enters nationals ranked ninth, 16th and 24th among Americans this year in his primary events: 100m butterfly, 50m freestyle and 100m free.
One can't put as much stock in Dressel's spring times as in those for other swimmers since he raced just one full meet in the last year and has historically gone much faster at championships than at in-season meets.
"He's doing good," Nesty said. "Training-wise, he did a really nice job coming back. ... All we can do is support Caeleb where he's at, and he knows where he's at. We'll see what we get next week. How he's going to do, I don't have a crystal ball. But, again, he's one of the ultimate professionals. He loves the sport. He takes care of his body well. I think if you take care of your body, your chances of being successful are pretty good."
No swimmer has been more successful over the last decade than Katie Ledecky, who joined Nesty's group after the Tokyo Games.
She once again enters nationals as the overwhelming favorite in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m frees. Ledecky, 26, can tie the U.S. record by competing at a sixth world championships in July.
Ledecky's 2022 was a success despite the whirlwind of a post-Tokyo Olympics move from Stanford to Florida and a later start to her preseason training. She won all four of her races at worlds, breaking Natalie Coughlin's record for the most world medals for a woman (now 22 total -- 19 gold, three silver).
Last fall, Ledecky began setting specific goals for this Olympic cycle, including "some times in mind" that she is keeping private. She feels she's on the right path, confident after the most normal offseason she's had since the pandemic began.
For so long, the talk of Ledecky's training has been about her relentlessness in the pool. Nesty, though, noted her work in the weight room with the strength and conditioning staff.
"The intensity level here is definitely different than what she’s used to in the past," he said. "As we moved to last fall, I could see her taking the next step in the program as far as the confidence level she showed."
Over the last year, Arizona State came to rival Florida as the nation's premier swimming hub. Olympic medalists Chase Kalisz, Jay Litherland, Regan Smith and Simone Manuel were among those who moved to join a group headed by Sun Devils head coach Bob Bowman, the longtime coach of Michael Phelps. (Manuel chose not to swim at nationals, prioritizing 2024 .)
Smith won the 100m back at worlds last year, then less than two months later announced she was turning pro after one year at Stanford and moving to Tempe. She postponed pursuing a degree to focus on swimming and liked Bowman's to-the-point coaching and high-volume training, which is more like what she grew up with in Minnesota.
She enters nationals ranked No. 1 in the country this year in five different events.
"I felt like I hadn't really enjoyed swimming since before the pandemic," before moving to Arizona State, she said in April. "I got my butt kicked for the first few months. ... But it was great. I got whipped into shape pretty quickly. It was awesome."
The closest women's races this week could involve Kate Douglass, who at March's NCAA Championships won titles in the breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley.
She could be a disruptor in the breaststrokes against Olympic champions Lydia Jacoby and Lilly King. In the 100m fly, she could unseat Torri Huske or Claire Curzan, who went one-two at trials the last two years. Douglass is the Olympic bronze medalist in the 200m IM, where Alex Walsh and Leah Hayes earned gold and bronze at last year's worlds.
Aside from Dressel, the man to watch may be Shaine Casas, who took 200m back bronze in his world debut last year and is the fastest American this year in the 100m fly and 200m IM. Olympic champions Bobby Finke (800m and 1500m frees), Ryan Murphy (100m and 200m backs) and Kalisz (400m IM) are all favored to get back on the world team, ranking in the top two in the U.S. in their events this year.
NBC Sports' Megan Santaniello contributed to this report.
