Former Florida swimmer [autotag]Caeleb Dressel[/autotag] didn’t have the Paris Olympics he wanted, but he closed out the 2024 Games by winning a silver medal for the United States as a member of the 4×100-meter medley relay on Sunday.
China finished 0.55 seconds ahead of the Americans and took gold with a time of 3:27.46. France won bronze with a 3:28.38.
It’s a bittersweet silver medal for the Americans as it marks the first loss in the event dating back to the 1960 Rome Olympics when it was added to the event list. The U.S. didn’t compete in the 1980 Moscow Games but has won the men’s medley every other year until now.
“That was a close race, it came down to the wire,” Dressel said. “They had four great splits, we had four great splits, and they were faster – simple as that.”
Dressel swam the third leg for the American as the nation’s best in the butterfly stroke. It’s a redemption moment of sorts after Dressel failed to qualify for the 100-meter fly finals after winning gold at the Tokyo Games.
The former Gator posted the fastest fly split in the event, completing his 100 meters in 49.41. He moved the Americans into second place after Nic Fink finished the second leg in fourth.
It’s the 10th medal of Dressel’s Olympic career and first silver.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Dressel ends Paris Olympics with silver in 4×100 medley relay
