BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Michael Phelps, you’ve got company.
Caeleb Dressel won his seventh gold medal of the world championships Sunday, putting the US team ahead to stay with another dominating swim in the 4×100-meter medley relay.
One night after becoming the first swimmer to win three golds in one night at a major international meet, Dressel joined Phelps in another elite club: seven golds at the second-biggest meet after the Olympics.
Phelps set the record at the 2007 worlds in Melbourne, Australia – a prelude to his unprecedented eight golds the following year at the Beijing Olympics.
Dressel matched the feat along the banks of the Danube, emerging as America’s next great swimming star.
The 20-year-old University of Florida student won three individual golds and was part of four winning relay teams.
It was a big night all around for the Americans.
Lilly King set her second individual world record of the meet in the 50 breaststroke, again besting Russian rival Yulia Efimova, then returned as part of the women’s 4×100 medley relay that also broke the world record.
Chase Kalisz completed a sweep of the individual medleys to carry on the tradition of the American dominance, even after Phelps’ retirement and Ryan Lochte not being allowed to compete in Budapest because of his shenanigans at the Rio Olympics.
Kalisz romped to victory in the 400 IM on the heels of his victory in the 200 IM.
The US finished with 18 golds and 38 medals overall – a huge improvement over the previous worlds two years ago in Kazan, where the Americans managed just eight golds and 23 medals.
The home crowd had no complaints, either.
But this meet will be remembered as Dressel’s coming-out party.
He won the 50 and 100 freestyle, and nearly took down Phelps’ world record in the 100 butterfly. Dressel was a beast on the relays, swimming both the free and fly.
Phelps’ feat still stands supreme since five of his seven golds were in individual events, and he didn’t have the benefit of the mixed relays. Dressel won a pair of golds in that relatively new event, which he was quick to point out after his three wins on Saturday.