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'What a beast': Swimming stunned by wild world record at Olympics

chris young
Sports Reporter
·4-min read
US star Caleb Dressel flexes after winning the 100m butterfly final at the Tokyo Oympics.
US star Caleb Dressel won the 100m butterfly final in a world record time, his third gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

American swimming star Caleb Dressel has become just the second man in Olympics history to win both the 100m freestyle and butterfly.

Dressel won the final of the 100m butterfly on Saturday morning, equalling former American star Mark Spitz's feat of winning both events, which he accomplished in 1972.

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The victory earned him his third gold medal of the Tokyo Games, with Dressel winning in a new world record time of 49.45.

He finished ahead of Hungary's Kristóf Milák and Switzerland's Noe Ponti, with Australian contender Matthew Temple finishing fifth.

The 100 fly was the first of three swims for Dressel in a span of roughly 80 remarkable minutes. A section of American teammates cheered him on from the stands as he went.

He’ll recoup right away for his 50-meter freestyle semifinal. He’ll then anchor the U.S. mixed medley relay to close out a busy Saturday.

And even then, Dressel won’t be done. His Olympic meet was back-heavy.

He’s a gold medal contender in the 50-meter free final and, likely, the men’s medley relay on Sunday.

Dressel could leave Tokyo with six medals, and as the most decorated of the nearly 11,000 athletes here.

Fans on social media were blown away by the powerhouse swim.

Swimming world in disbelief over never-before-seen feat

South African swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker has left Olympic Games viewers in disbelief after a staggering effort to claim gold in the women's 200m breaststroke on Friday.

Schoenmaker smashed the long-standing world record after touching in 2min 18.95sec to better the 2:19.11 set by Denmark's Rikke Moller Pedersen in 2013.

America's Lilly King was second in 2:19.92 with her team-mate and training partner Annie Lazor third in 2:20.84.

The 24-year-old Schoenmaker, who won silver in the 100m event, had signalled her intent by going close to the record in the heats and she made no mistake in the final.

King went out fast and turned first at both the 50m and 100m mark before Schoenmaker made her move, reeling in the American to touch first.

It made her the first female South African to win an Olympic swimming gold since 1996, when Penny Heyns swept the women's 100 and 200 breaststroke.

The South African also has the incredible honour of being the first female in history to go under the 2.19.00 barrier.

The records were tumbling in the pool on Friday in Tokyo, with Australia's Emma Mckeon also setting a new Olympic benchmark in the women's 100m freestyle final.

McKeon set a new Olympic record after touching in 51.96 seconds to claim gold ahead of Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey (52.27) and Aussie compatriot Cate Campbell (52.52).

There were moving scenes after the race as Campbell could be heard in the pool telling McKeon, "I'm so proud of you," before hugging her fellow Aussie.

The 27-year-old led from start to finish: she was first off the blocks in a reaction time a tenth of a second quicker than any rival.

With AAP

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