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sports Dialuna 19 Juli 2021

Morikawa wins British Open for 2nd major at age 24

(AP) — Collin Morikawa ing a historic start to his ca-
won the British Open on reer in the majors. Morikawa By making par at the last fol-
his links debut and be- is the first player since Bobby lowing a tension-free walk
came the first player to Jones in 1926 to win two ma- to applause — and then a
capture two different ma- jors in eight or fewer starts, standing ovation — down
jors at the first attempt. and his total of 15-under 265 the 18th fairway, Morikawa
was a 72-hole record score at didn’t drop a shot in his fi-
The 24-year-old American the Sandwich links. nal 31 holes on a course that
closed with a bogey-free, has confounded many of the
4-under 66 Sunday for a two- He made three straight bird- world’s greatest players be-
shot victory over Jordan Spi- ies from the seventh hole to cause of its quirky bounces
eth to follow up his victory at overtake Louis Oosthuizen, and undulating fairways.
last year’s PGA Champion- who was seeking a wire-to-
ship on debut, just 11 months wire win and a second clar- All the more remarkable was
ago. et jug, and then made key this was his first links test.
par saves at Nos. 10 and 15,
This time he did it in front of pumping his first after both. Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open
a crowd, with 32,000 specta- A birdie putt up and over a champion and runner up at covered from losing his lead at the par-5 seventh hole, and
tors at Royal St. George’s on ridge on the 14th green gave the last two majors, had an- — for the first time since the shot 71.
a day of immaculate weather him a two-stroke advantage other near miss in a career 12th hole on Friday — af-
to witness a Californian mak- he never lost. full of them. He never re- ter making bogey by hitting He tied for third place with
from one bunker to another Jon Rahm (66).

Spotlight beckons Caeleb Dressel, swimming’s reluctant star

(AP) - For a man tabbed pian. two silvers for a record haul himself. “I trash myself more I’ll pick up the slack for him.”
as swimming’s next su- of eight medals. than anybody,” he said.
perstar, Caeleb Dressel “I swim different events than Dressel said, “I can’t tell you
couldn’t be more disin- Michael,” he said. “I’m not Dressel is fast and powerful “If you didn’t have a good how many times I’ve just
terested. Of course, he chasing someone else’s goals. in the sprint events, usually swim, but you don’t learn come home and crashed
cares about being fast in I want to chase my own.” the first one off the blocks. anything, that’s a complete in her arms and said, ‘That
the pool. He just isn’t into He stands out even before throwaway. That’s a failure. If sucked.’”
anyone else’s expectations Dressel was a bit player in he dives in. At 6-foot-2 and you have a bad swim and you
or comparisons. Fame his first Olympics five years 198 pounds, with a sleeve of learn something from it, then The high school sweethearts
isn’t his thing, either. ago in Rio, winning two re- tattoos on his left arm and it’s not a bad swim anymore,” married on Valentine’s week-
lay gold medals while Phelps the Olympic rings tattooed he said. end last February, only mov-
“I’d rather just shut up and and Ryan Lochte’s careers as on his right forearm, his up- ing in together after the wed-
swim,” the 24-year-old Flo- the world’s two dominant per body is all muscle. He’s Unlike young swimmers, ding. She whips up his favor-
ridian said. male swimmers were wind- the one doing the insanely who may unquestioningly ite dish — chicken piccata —
ing down. high vertical leaps behind the follow a coach’s orders, Dres- since Dressel admits the only
Dressel could win as many starting block. sel is frank in his exchanges thing he can cook is eggs.
as seven medals in Tokyo. The 2017 world champion- with coach Gregg Troy.
He’ll compete in the 50- and ships in Budapest, Hungary, “His talent and his explosion “I could have cried the first
100-meter freestyles and the was Dressel’s personal com- is just mind-blowing,” said “It gives us a great coopera- day after the wedding,” he
100 butterfly, as well as up to ing-out party. He won seven Lochte, who trained with tive effort to put ourselves in said. “I came home from
four relays. gold medals — more than Dressel in Gainesville, Flori- the best possible situation,” practice and there’s food
any other country. da, before coming up short in Troy said. ready. She dropped me off at
Sound familiar? Michael his bid to make a fifth Olym- a doctor’s appointment, and
Phelps won a historic eight Two years later in Gwangju, pic team. “In practice, there While Dressel shuns com- I was like, ‘That’s how you
golds in Beijing in 2008. But South Korea, he smashed is no mercy. He doesn’t back parisons to Phelps, he doesn’t know you’re married.’
don’t suggest to Dressel that Phelps’ 10-year-old record down.” hesitate to reach out to the
he’s the next coming of the in the 100-meter butterfly retired superstar. In the midst “I told Meghan two months
all-time winningest Olym- while winning six golds and Dressel is just as hard on of the pandemic last year, a into dating her I was going
frustrated Dressel fired off a to marry her. I should have
ranting text to Phelps. done it way earlier.”
Dressel is just as interested in
“It’s been great to have that leading an adventurous life
support from him, from outside the pool.
someone I don’t even know
that well, but he knows how In late 2019, he started a
the sport works,” Dressel podcast called “The Ben
said. and Caeleb Show” with best
friend Ben Kennedy in which
ADVERTISEMENT they hash over everything
So does his wife, Meghan. from hummus to building
She swam in high school and tables to making a bed. Last
briefly in college, giving her year during the pandemic,
shared experience in under- he joined his family in hik-
standing the ups and downs. ing the Appalachian Trail. He
She has a master’s degree in likes to hunt, fish, and play
marriage and family therapy, video games.
which she puts to good use in
her own home. “He’s in this for himself and
for his own self-improve-
“We’re in this together,” she ment,” Meghan said. “What
said. “Some days it’s 50-50 he can learn as a human, what
and other days it’s 90-10, and he can take away for himself.”