Tokyo Olympics: 10 hottest male swimmers from Caeleb Dressel to Jesse Puts
It's only once in four years that one gets to witness the graceful spectacle that is the men's swimming events at the Olympics. After an especially long wait, the Olympics, the largest and most complex sporting event in the world, is coming up this month in Tokyo and sports fans are gearing up.
After several rumors of the Olympics being canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the world is looking forward as Tokyo gears up for the games which are slated to start on Friday, 23 July 2021, and go on till Sunday, 8 August.
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Competitive professional swimmers are some of the most athletic people in the world. The moment a well-toned male Olympian hits the water, setting off with a fluid dolphin kick, is a poetic sight. So we compiled a list of the hottest male swimmers at this year's Tokyo Olympics who are sure to make your head swim with joy and keep the adrenaline high, as we approach the hottest Olympics humanity has ever witnessed.
1. Caeleb Dressel, USA
Caeleb Dressel is America's sprint specialist. The Floridian is not just a two-time Olympic gold medalist, he is the current world record holder of the fastest butterfly and the 100 meter individual medley. In 2019, he set a world record in the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 20.24, during the ISL Grand Finale, beating previous record-holder Florent Manaudou, who he ironically swam next to! From his streamline to his pull pattern, and his powerful dolphin kicks which contribute greatly to his speed, keep an eye out for Dressel. As a fan commented: "You’ll conquer in Tokyo, my friend. They’re not ready."
2. Adam Peaty, United Kingdom
If you've been looking for a reason to work out, then Adam Peaty is definitely the man to swim for. The Staffordshire breaststroke specialist has represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships, and England in the Commonwealth Games. At the 2016 Olympics, the eight-time world champion became the first male British swimmer to win a gold medal in the 100 metre breaststroke in 24 years. Peaty is also the current holder of the world record in 50 metre and 100 metre breaststroke events and could be the X factor in getting Britain her first relay Olympic gold medal since 1912, according to Swimming World Magazine.
3. Andrei Minakov, Russia
Andrei Minakov has already won six Youth Olympics gold medals and two world silvers by the age of 19, but the Russian is focusing on greater glory on the world stage at Tokyo this year. Minakov found his love for swimming through skiing. "My mother wanted me to do Alpine Skiing. But as there was a lot of time free time during summer, she took me to swimming classes. I was six at that time. Never looked back since then," he says on his website. The teenager from St Petersburg is coached by Nikita Lugovkin, and specializes in butterfly, freestyle and the medley. "It feels good and natural to be in the pool and feel the water," he says. "By the way," he adds, "I am quite good at skiing too, I still go for it when I have time." Grace, power and talent, Minakov has it all!
4. Daiya Seto, Japan
The 27-year-old Daiya Seto from Saitama, Japan is the first Asian swimmer to become a world champion in the individual medley, and is the current holder of the world records in the 200 meter butterfly and the 400 meter individual medley. The on-fire swimmer won the men's 400m IM on the first day of the competition at the 2021 Japan Open clocking a time of 4:12.57 in his first race back after serving a ban. Seto, in October last year, admitted to having an extramarital affair, which resulted in his being suspended by the Japanese Swimming Federation (JASF) on grounds of an ethics code violation. He resigned from his role as captain of the Olympic swim team, but you will see the four-time world champion as he punches his third Olympics ticket on home turf this year.
5. Gregorio Paltrinieri, Italy
Gregorio Paltrinieri is in for the long haul. The Italian is an Olympic and world long course and short course champion, and three-times European long course champion in the 1500m freestyle, one of the toughest races to master. A swimmer needs immense mental and physical strength and endurance to race it for 15 plus minutes, and Paltrinieri is a champ at it. This year, we will also see him swimming in the brutal 10 km marathon. The 26-year-old from the Italian town of Capri holds the world record in the 1500 m freestyle (short course) event. With speeds of 7:39.27 and 14:33.10, he also owns the long course European records in the 800 m and 1500 m freestyle events.
6. Jesse Puts, Netherlands
Jesse Puts is a Dutch competitive swimmer who specializes in freestyle, who was the 2016 world champion in the 50 meter freestyle (short course). Puts, who is from Utrecht, Netherlands, holds the Dutch records in this event in both long course and short course freestyle. The swimmer would have qualified for the 2016 Olympics too if it weren't for a measly 0.03 seconds. "My motivation is to become better every single day and to reach my goal to swim fast at the Olympics," he said to the Digital Journal. On why he chose freestyle as his favourite stroke, Puts says: “Freestyle, it’s the fastest stroke and it’s just about how it makes me feel." On how Puts makes his fans feel? "I wish I was that kettlebell," said one.
7. Elijah Winnington, Australia
Elijah Winnington is a Gold Coast Australian who specializes in sprint freestyle events. Winnington first appeared on the international stage as a member of the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay team who won gold and set a new Games Record at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. The 21-year-old is also the back-to-back Australian Champion in the 400m Freestyle and is now set for his first Olympic appearance in Tokyo. The blue-eyed brunet has a sweet answer when asked about his career aspirations outside of swimming. He wants to own a sporting management company, so he can "help and inspire young, upcoming athletes to pursue greatness."
8. Chad Le Clos, South Africa
Chad Le Clos is one of the best butterflyers in the world, and the now 29-year-old is aiming for a medal in the 100 butterfly for his third consecutive Olympics, as well as reclaiming his gold medal in the 200 fly after winning it in 2012. Le Clos has won the Overall Swimming World Cup four times and was named SwimSwam's 2014 Swammy Award-winner for Male Swimmer of the Year. Le Clos sure has mettle required for the Olympics since he won the bronze in both the 100 and 200 fly at the 2019 Worlds while battling hernia. Fans of the man with the winning smile cry "Hunk!" on his Instagram photos, while another adds: "Now put a shirt on, we know you swim!"
9. Danas Rapsys, Lithuania
Danas Rapsys is a one-time Olympian, a multiple-time Lithuanian record holder in the men's backstroke, freestyle, and butterfly. Although he was the fastest man in the 200 free final at the 2019 Worlds, he had a rough start which robbed him of celebrations. Lithuania has never had a male Olympic gold medalist in swimming, but Rapsys put his country bang on the map after he set the world record in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:44.3 in the World Cup, followed by a 1:45 at the FINA Champions Series in January. He will be battling it out with Winnington in the 400 m freestyle and Seto in the 200 m individual medley in Tokyo this year.
10. Roman Mityukov, Switzerland
Roman Mityukov is a backstroke specialist from Switzerland. When he was only 18, Mityukov a new National Record in the men's 100m backstroke while racing on day one of the 2019 Swiss Long Course Championships. He won the gold medal in the evening final, stopping the clock at 54.72. Now 20, and having competed in the men's 200 metre backstroke at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, the Genevan who is also a law student, according to his Instagram profile is up against some of the world's bests in both the 200 m backstroke and the 100 m freestyle in Tokyo.
While we're all looking forward to the 18 men's swimming events at the Tokyo Olympics, let's keep our eyes peeled as these brilliant athletes get on their marks, get set and go!