For Caeleb Dressel, 0.03 seconds was the difference between competing individually in the Olympics or watching from the bench.
This time, the fraction of a second favored the UF junior.
Dressel edged out North Carolina State’s Ryan Held in the 100-meter freestyle finals on Thursday at the Olympic qualifiers in Omaha, sending him to Rio.
For the 19-year-old, the Games will be his first shot at an Olympic medal.
Meanwhile, former Gator and fellow Olympian Conor Dwyer finished eighth in the same finals. With his chances for a 100-meter freestyle Olympic birth eliminated, Dwyer, who graduated from UF in 2011, will still compete in the 400-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle and 200-meter freestyle relays in Rio.
Ryan Lochte, another former Gator and an 11-time olympic medalist, also swam well on Thursday, placing first in the 200-meter individual medley semifinals. Lochte already has a bronze medal from the 2008 games and a silver medal from the 2012 games in the same event.
If he places first or second in Thursday’s finals, he’ll have a chance to increase his medal total in the event.
Contact Ethan Bauer at ebauer@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @ebaueri.
Caeleb Dressel touches the wall at the end of his leg of the 400 meter freestyle relay during Florida’s meet against Auburn on Jan. 23, 2016, in the O’Connell Center.
