A Champion Swimmer Returns, Slowly but Determinedly, to Competition

Caeleb Dressel competing in the 100-meter freestyle at the national championship meet in Indianapolis on Tuesday. He was returning from a hiatus and did not qualify for the world championships.Credit...Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesDuring the eight months Caeleb Dressel spent not swimming, he was surprised by the things he came to miss. Some were simple, like blowing bubbles in the water or the feel of his toes on the grip tape of the starting blocks. But he also missed the chlorine — a swimmer’s nemesis — and the dry skin that comes with hours spent in the pool.

“I missed every part of it,” Dressel, 26, said. “And that’s how I knew I was ready to get back. Because I didn’t need to — I wanted to.”

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