Defending Champ Dressel Drops Out of 100 Freestyle at Worlds

Caeleb Dressel of the United States poses with his medal after winning the Men 50m Butterfly final at the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on June 19, 2022. Petr David Josek/AP Photo

BUDAPEST, Hungary—Two-time world champion Caeleb Dressel is not defending his title in the men’s 100 freestyle at the swimming world championships after withdrawing before the semifinals.

Dressel was included in the initial start list for Tuesday’s semifinals in Budapest, but was not in an updated version with reserve Hwang Sun-woo of South Korea taking his place.