Caeleb Dressel helped lead Team USA to gold in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the Olympics.- Dressel tossed his gold medal to teammate Brooks Curry, who watched from the stands.
- Curry didn't swim in the final, but he was part of the team that qualified for the final.
Caeleb Dressel got off to a fantastic start at
-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2021
For Dressel, it was the first of what he hopes will be multiple gold medals at Tokyo 2020, with shots at individual gold coming up on his Olympic schedule.
After the race, Dressel and his teammates were all smiles and took time to celebrate a stellar split time from closer Zach Apple.
"We're never going to doubt ourselves," Dressel said. "That's how Team USA works."
-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2021
But even after the big win, Dressel didn't spend much time admiring his gold medal.
Instead, he gave it to a teammate who helped make the win possible.
Brooks Curry was not one of the four men
Curry's swim in qualifying helped Dressel stay fresh for the relay final and his busy schedule of individual races.
After receiving his medal, Dressel quickly went over to Curry, watching in the stands, and tossed him the gold.
"I had the easiest job last night out of everyone here. I got to watch it on TV," Dressel said after the race. "So I felt like [Brooks] deserved that a little more than me."
-USA Swimming (@USASwimming) July 26, 2021
It was a thoughtful gesture from Dressel that helped allow Curry to be included in the night's victory. While Curry would ultimately receive a medal of his own for the role he played in helping the team in its preliminary heat, he did not get to participate in the medal ceremony, as the ceremony is reserved for the four men who swam the final.
While it might not always seem like it, swimming is a team sport, and Curry's swim for the Americans was crucial to starting their Olympic stay off with a win.