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Jonathan White

The track might be the star of the Summer Games but the pool is where the business gets done.
It’s no coincidence that the most successful Olympian of all time is a swimmer.
Michael Phelps won 28 medals across his five Summer Games and while he will not be adding to his medals in Tokyo, the pool is where the next generation of multi-medallists will be looking to kick-start their careers.
Here are some competitors eyeing a first swimming gold at Tokyo 2020 and hoping it can be the first of many:


Caeleb Dressel (USA)
Dressel’s first Olympic gold came in Rio as part of the US men’s 4x100m freestyle relay along with Phelps, Ryan Held and Nathan Adrian. His second gold soon followed in the medley relay as he had swum in the heats. The 23-year-old won seven golds at the 2017 worlds and another six last year, along with two silvers. Dressel is widely regarded as the heir to Phelps’ crown as the king of the pool as he keeps breaking the veteran’s world records.


Maggie MacNeil (Canada)
The teenager missed out on representing Canada at Rio 2016 but what a four years it has been since, culminating in last year’s worlds in South Korea. She won bronze in the 4x100m freestyle before one of the shocks of the championships. MacNeil took gold in the 100m fly, finishing ahead of Sarah Sjostrom, the Rio 2016 gold medallist and four-time world champion.


Regan Smith (USA)
Smith tried out for Rio but the then 14-year-old just missed out on making the team. She should have no such worries this time. Another breakout star at last year’s worlds, the 17-year-old set a world record in the 200m backstroke and joined the dream team for the 4x100m medley – made up of Olympic champions Lilly King, Kelsi Dahlia and Simone Manuel. Smith also has the world record in the 100m backstroke.


Michael Andrew (USA)
Another childhood prodigy, Andrew turned pro at just 14 and tried out for the Rio team two years later but missed out on qualifying. Now 20, everything is in place after he made history at the 2019 worlds by becoming the first man to make the 50m finals in all four strokes. Andrew has become a figure of interest because of his unusual training methods, which see him train at race pace.


Kristof Milak (Hungary)
The 19-year-old was a force of nature in the pool at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, where he won three golds. His form carried on into 2019 and the world championships, most notably shattering Phelps’ record for the 200m butterfly. Milak, who turns 20 in February, also won a silver in South Korea.


Andrei Minakov (Russia)
The Russian took home seven medals from Buenos Aires, six of them gold. Minakov’s form in the juniors has continued apace. He took silver in the 100m fly at the worlds, setting a new national record in the process, and then helped set another national record on the way to bronze in the 400m medley relay.


Kliment Kolesnikov (Russia)
Minakov’s teammate also grabbed seven medals in Buenos Aires but then had an even better 2018. Kolesnikov won three golds among six medals at the European Championships, setting a world record in the process, and was named European Swimmer of the Year by swimming website SwimSwam. He will be looking to hit his best form for Tokyo.


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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Tokyo 2020: ‘New Michael Phelps’ Caeleb Dressel leads rising swimming stars out for gold

Caeleb Dressel of the USA celebrates after winning the men’s 100m butterfly gold at the 2019 world championships. Photo: EPA

Tokyo 2020: Serena Williams leads Olympic mothers with gold medal hopes

Serena Williams will be one of many mothers going for gold in Tokyo this year. Photo: Xinhua

Tokyo 2020: Olympic gymnasts ready to make their marks

Gold medallist Morgan Hurd of the USA at the 2017 artistic gymnastics world championships. Photo: AP

Tokyo 2020: Olympic comebacks and athletes with points to prove

China’s Sun Yang celebrates with the gold medal in the men’s 200m freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Photo: AP

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Michael Phelps’ former teammate Caeleb Dressel has come a long way since Rio 2016 relay golds
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Michael Phelps’ former teammate Caeleb Dressel has come a long way since Rio 2016 relay gold, while Youth Olympics and world championships uncover rising stars.


Rio 2016 Olympic Games