Swimmer Caeleb Dressel is one of America's most decorated Olympians. The 27-year-old won his eight gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics while competing in the 4x100-meter relay.
However, Dressel's dominant Olympic run came to a screeching halt on Day 7 on the Paris Olympics. While competing in the men's 50-meter freestyle final on August 2, an event he won gold at during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he failed to earn a podium finish. Considering this is one of Dressel's signature events, his sixth-place finish was shocking.
However, the 27-year-old's day of competition only got worse. During his next swim. Dressel failed to even qualify for the 100-meter fly, another event he won gold at during the Tokyo games. After getting out the pool, NBC's cameras remained on Dressel as he broke down in tears.
The Florida-native finished fifth in his heat with a 51.57 time. "I’d like to be performing better, but I’m not. I trained to go faster than the times I’m going. I know that. So, yeah. It’s tough, a little heartbreaking. A little heartbreaking for sure," Dressel told reporters afterward.
Viewers watching shared their heartbreak over Dressel's finish on social media. One fan posted , "There is a lot criticism of the USA athletes on here. There is a lot of competition in the water. Caeleb Dressel is crying on the television. He wasn't really swimming like himself. Hope he is OK. One of the reasons I really like him. Not afraid to show emotion. #Paris2024 ."
While some fans were happy NBC showed Dressel's emotional reaction, others took issue with how long the cameras stayed on him as he cried.
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