TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — After making history in 2020, Florida native Caleb Dressel is ready to compete in the Summer Games in Paris.
The 27-year-old swimmer, who grew up outside of Jacksonville, won five Olympic gold medals in Tokyo in front of empty stands, when the world was still in the throes of the pandemic.
On Thursday, News Channel 8 caught up with Dressel in Tampa at the grand opening of OMEGA at the International Plaza Mall.
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“I had a great Tokyo Olympics without people in the stands, but I’d definitely rather hear people cheering,” he told WFLA. “I’d rather hear the roar of the crowd and I’d rather hear the excitement after a win or whoever wins.
“The cheer of the crowd, I feel takes some of the pressure off in a way and it just really puts you in a mindset to just be in that moment completely and you get immersed in it totally,” he added.
Dressel said a lot of his motivation comes from his son, who was born two months ago.
