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Best moments for the US swim team at the World Championships

By Orri Benatar

GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 27: Gold medalists Caeleb Dressel, Zach Apple, Mallory Comerford and Simone Manuel of the United States pose during the medal ceremony for the Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Final on day seven of the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships at Nambu International Aquatics Centre on July 27, 2019 in Gwangju, South Korea. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 27: Gold medalists Caeleb Dressel, Zach Apple, Mallory Comerford and Simone Manuel of the United States pose during the medal ceremony for the Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Final on day seven of the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships at Nambu International Aquatics Centre on July 27, 2019 in Gwangju, South Korea. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Once again, America is the dominant swimming team in the world. At the world championships, familiar faces struck for the US and new stars emerged.

For the ninth consecutive time, the United States came on top of the medal table at the FINA World Aquatics Championships. The top swimming team on the planet won 27 total medals in Gwangju, South Korea and 14 of them were gold. The US still boasts the most talented swimmers on the planet and will be a force to be reckoned with in Tokyo next summer.

Before getting to the biggest and best moments for the Americans, two notes to know:

1. The US did not win the most relays. Australia did with four. It’s the first time since 2001 the US did not win the most relays at a World Championships or Olympics.

2. Superstar Katie Ledecky battled illness throughout the week and came away with just one win in the 800m freestyle. She lost the 400m freestyle and scratched herself from the 200 and 1500.

Caeleb Dressel wins 8 medals, 6 gold

Every single male swimmer from now on that takes on a big schedule is trying to be the next Michael Phelps. Phelps won 26 world championship gold medals and the most medals he won at a single worlds was seven. 22-year old Caeleb Dressel beat that mark in Gwangju this past week in one of the all-time great swimming performances.

Dressel swept the 50m and 100m titles in both the freestyle and the butterfly, a feat that is one of the toughest in the sport. He was also a part of the men’s and mixed 4x100m freestyle relay teams where he helped the United States defend their world titles. With his incredible speed and power off the blocks, Dressel has the full package to be the next legendary swimmer. Dressel’s world title haul sits at 13 golds in just two appearances.

Dressel won two gold medals at the Rio Olympics in 2016, both in relays. With the slightly expanded Olympic swimming schedule, Dressel could win up to six gold medals with the events he swims in now (50m and 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4x100m men’s freestyle relay, 4x100m men’s and mixed medley relay).

Lilly King still rules the breaststroke

King was maybe the breakout star for the entire US Olympic team in Brazil. She was 19 when she came to Rio, won gold medals in the 100m breaststroke and medley relay and gave us the iconic finger wag at Russian rival Yuliya Efimova before beating her in the 100m final. King once again proved she is the best female breaststroker of all-time winning another three world championships.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0PgUZShkq8

Despite a DQ in the 200m breaststroke, King defended her world titles in the 50 and 100 in style against loaded fields. King added her third world championship as part of the women’s medley team that broke the world record by more than a second. At the age of 22, the former Indiana Hoosier has won two Olympic gold medals, seven world championships golds, and owns both breaststroke sprinting world records. She’ll once again be the favorite in Tokyo to win some more gold medals in the breaststroke.

Simone Manuel makes history

The trailblazing Simone Manuel had her best ever swimming meet of her career as she became the first woman to win seven medals at the world championships. Manuel won five golds in Budapest at the 2017 championships and had an even bigger 2019 taking home four world titles and three silver medals.

Manuel swept the 50m and 100m freestyle races with ease and was part of five relay teams for the United States. Manuel can win two individual gold medals in Tokyo and has a chance to be on four relay teams with the inclusion of the mixed medley (IOC did not add the mixed freestyle). Manuel could become just the second woman to win six gold medals at an Olympics, possibly joining East German swimmer Kristin Otto who did it in Seoul 1988.

Regan Smith explodes onto the scene

Every Olympics, you always find the breakout swimmers for the United States. Katie Ledecky and Missy Franklin in 2012, and Simone Manuel and Lilly King in 2016 as some examples. In 2020, remember the name Regan Smith. Smith is a 17-year old backstroker who just finished high school and just committed to the swimming superpower Stanford for her collegiate career. In the last few days of this year’s championships, Smith stole the headlines.

First, she broke Missy Franklin’s ten-year-old world record in the 200m backstroke with an amazing time of 2:03.35. And that was just in the semifinal. Smith won the final to win her first world title and then she outdid herself on the last day in the last race of the week. Smith broke another world record held by an American when she swam the backstroke portion of the women’s medley relay in 57.57 seconds, breaking Kathleen Baker’s 58.00.

Smith’s stamina, technique, and closing speed will be something to behold in Tokyo and she has the potential to join the pantheon of great backstrokers. Keep this name in your head when Olympic swimming begins on July 25th of next year. The women’s 200m backstroke final is set for August 1st, 2020.

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