Caeleb Dressel: Winning Olympic Gold for My Son Means Everything

Caeleb Dressel and his men’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay team won Team USA’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Upon securing the victory, his first thought was to celebrate with his family.

“It was really special,” Dressel, 27, expressed to NBC reporters on Saturday, July 27. “I mean, my son getting to watch me win a gold medal is everything.”

Dressel added, “I know that last 50 meters, I just wanted to get a gold medal for these guys. It’s what we came here to do. That’s why it was so tough to make the team, and we won by over a second. We did it in good fashion.”

Competing alongside Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, and Hunter Armstrong, the U.S. team finished the relay at 3:09.28, outperforming Australia in second place and Italy in third.

While Caeleb competed in the pool, his wife Meghan Dressel watched from the stands, holding their son August, with rapper Snoop Dogg beside her.

When Caeleb exited the pool after the team’s victory, he ran over to Meghan and August for a heartfelt embrace.

“This Games just hits different,” Meghan shared on her Instagram Story, posting footage of Caeleb’s race.

Caeleb and Meghan tied the knot in February 2021, expanding their family two years later when Meghan gave birth to August in February 2024.

“Welcome to the world, August Wilder Dressel,” the couple announced on Instagram. “Our baby boy came bursting into our arms on Saturday morning after a very swift and powerful labor. Mom and Dad were in it together, and we had the intervention-free birth that we had so hoped and prepared for.”

They added, “It was more raw, incredible, and beautiful than we ever could have dreamed of, and brought us this perfect, healthy, chunky baby boy. God is so good! We are still at a loss for words over it all. August, you have forever changed our world and our hearts.”

Meghan also brought August to Caeleb’s Olympic trials earlier this summer.

“Two years ago to the week, we hit rock bottom across the world. One year ago to the day, we found out we were pregnant with our greatest joy,” Meghan reminisced on Instagram in June. “Today, Caeleb qualifies for his 3rd Olympic team with his son in the stands. I don’t have the words to encompass the journey between these markers other than challenging and transformative. To walk this road hand in hand with him will always be my greatest honor.”