As the Florida Gators hosted the Virginia Cavaliers in a quick early-season dual meet, three of the most prominent swimmers in the country raced exhibition during a break. These three swimmers, responsible for a collective seven individual gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, all happen to train with the Florida team, and they got an early test of their training as they begin the long build toward the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.

Caeleb Dressel, set for a full season of training for the first time in three years, raced for the first time since his return to the major stage at this summer’s U.S. Nationals, when his lack of full preparation prevented a serious run at qualifying for the World Championships. Dressel swam a time of 1:34.98 in the 200 free, which surpassed the 1:35.06 that Jake Mitchell posted for the official win in the event in the college meet. Dressel actually negative split the race, going out in 47.51 before returning in 47.47, showing some endurance he lacked in his appearance at Nationals. Mark Szaranek finished second to Dressel in 1:36.82.

Your alarm goes off at 5 o’clock in the morning, yelling at you to get up and get ready for practice at 5:45 a.m. Come on, let’s get up and go!

The thought of staying in bed for a bit longer is tempting, but you know you must wake up and prepare for morning practice soon, or you’ll be late. This is the worst, but I got to get there on time.

You talk yourself into going to the kitchen and eating breakfast so that you’ll have the energy to get yourself ready, get to practice on time, and make it through the entire workout. I don’t really want to eat this early, but I have to.

After breakfast, you gather all the materials you’ll need for the day, including your backpack, and head out the door. Go, go, go!

You arrive at practice and immediately go to the locker room to change into workout clothes because you know you will be lifting weights first thing in the morning. Quick change!

Kaylee McKeown came within 0.18 of her 100m backstroke world record as she set one of four meet marks on the second day of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup stop in Athens.

McKeown was in a race of her own on the second 50 as she went 57.63 to cut a huge 0.32secs from her own World Cup standard of 57.95 set last week in Berlin.

It was the sixth-fastest time in history and ranks fifth in the Australian’s career, matching the time she did at the 2021 Sydney Open.

Sarah Sjostrom, Siobhan Haughey and Henrik Christiansen also set World Cup records in the 50 fly, 200 free and 800 free respectively.

Christiansen got the ball rolling with a new meet mark in the fastest heat of the 800 free, his time of 7:51.92 cutting more than five seconds from the previous record of 7:56.96 that had stood to Gregorio Paltrinieri since August 2015.

Haughey lowered her own World Cup record when she went 1:55.03, to take 0.07secs from the mark she set last week in Berlin.