Sprinter Caeleb Dressel has become the fourth American to win five gold medals in a single Olympic games, lofting him to the heights enjoyed by champions Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz, and Matt Biondi. But in a poignant interview after claiming his last medal, he said it was a hellish journey.
“I’m going to take a break, take a little break here,” Dressel told reporters after his win on Sunday. “I’m pretty over swimming, guys.”
Dressel, a shy 24-year-old who has publicly struggled with stress and performance anxiety, said these games—highlighted by a slew of scandals in Japan, COVID-19 cases, and superstars like Simone Biles withdrawing from some events in part due to mental-health concerns—had been eye opening.
“This is not easy, not an easy week at all,” he said during the post podium press conference. “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.”