Caeleb Dressel was miserable during Olympic dominance

Dominating the Olympics may not be as enjoyable as it seems. 

American swimmer Caeleb Dressel, fresh off a record-tying Olympic performance in which he captured gold medals in each of his five races, told reporters that he is “pretty over swimming” following his final win on Sunday. 

“This is not easy, not an easy week at all,” Dressel said. “Some parts were extremely enjoyable. I would say the majority of them were not. You can’t sleep right, you can’t nap, shaking all the time. I probably lost 10 pounds. I’m going to weigh myself and eat some food when I get back. It’s a lot of stress we put on the body.” 

Although Dressel has taken to journaling in order to better cope with his emotions, the Olympics left him too drained to write.

“I am pretty good at putting a face on,” Dressel said. “I knew that weight was on my shoulders. (But) pressure is fine. It is when you turn it into stress, that is when it becomes a problem.” 

Mental health has become an increasingly pertinent subject during the Tokyo Olympics. Dressel’s remarks come in the wake of Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from several Olympic events over her own mental health concerns. 

Despite the toll on his health, Dressel acknowledged that he has no regrets about participating. 

“It’s not the most enjoyable process, but it is worth it,” Dressel said. “Every part of it is worth it. Just cause it’s bad doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.”