Caeleb Dressel anchors relay to Team USA’s first gold medal of Paris Olympics

It didn’t take Team USA long to reach the top step of the swimming podium at the 2024 Olympics, as the U.S. men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team secured the nation’s first gold of the Paris Games in dominant fashion on Saturday’s opening night.

The American relay squad, featuring Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong and Caeleb Dressel, combined to post a time of 3:09.28, good enough for gold by more than a second over silver medalists Australia. Italy finished third to claim the bronze. 

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With the victory, the U.S. extended its winning streak in the event to three consecutive Games. The Americans have won gold in 11 of the last 13 editions of the men’s 4x100m free relay at the Olympics.

For Dressel, the victory marked his eighth-career gold medal across three Olympics, elevating him into a tie with countryman Matt Biondi for third all-time in the sport. However, it was his first as a father. Dressel had his five-month-old son, August, cheering him on in the stands.

“My son getting to watch me win a gold medal is everything,” Dressel told NBC’s Melissa Stark after the race, before shifting the spotlight to his younger teammates. “I just wanted to get a gold medal for these guys. I’ve had my moments in the sport, it’s time for these guys to have their fun.”

Guiliano and Alexy, both 21, earned gold medals in the first race of their Olympic careers. 

“Training with all these guys, that shot my confidence through the roof,” Guiliano said. “Getting to be behind the blocks with those guys, it’s just an immediate feeling of, ‘We’re gonna do this.'”

For Armstrong, it’s a second career gold medal after the Tokyo men’s 4x100m medley relay, where he swam in the prelims only. The 23-year-old Ohioan posted the best split of the quartet, completing his third leg in 46.75 seconds. Armstrong attributed the blistering split to preferring relays. Dressel, jokingly, had a different theory.

“I think he lost 10 years of his life for that,” Dressel said. “It always takes a special performance. That was this guy (Armstrong).”

Matt King and Ryan Held will also receive gold medals for their participation in Saturday morning’s prelims.

The four finalists hope they can take the golden momentum with them into their individual events to come. Armstrong and Guiliano get back in the pool as soon as Sunday, with heats and semifinals in the men’s 100m backstroke (Armstrong) and men’s 200m freestyle (Guiliano).