TOKYO — Team USA won its first relay gold medal at the 2021 Olympics on Monday thanks to Caeleb Dressel, the closest thing these Games have to Michael Phelps.
In an event, the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, that Phelps and three teammates won in 2016, and an event in which Phelps and three other teammates still own the world record, Dressel sprinted the U.S. out to a significant lead with a 100 faster than the individual world record. Blake Pieroni briefly lost it, but recovered to put the U.S. in first at the midway point. Bowen Becker held it over the third 100, and Zach Apple brought home the gold, outracing Italy’s Manuel Frigo to the wall.
The U.S. finished in 3:08.97, the third-fastest 4×100 relay in history.