The American swimming drama explosion: Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky “fought” violently, the American team cracked before La 2028!

Singapore, August 25, 2025– A unprecedented scandal storm is shaking the US swimming village, when two superstars Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky were accused of publicly criticizing each other on social networks, leading to the participation of a series of other athletes such as Gretchen Walsh and Bobby Finke. The incident, like a “century battle” in the swimming world, is making fans stunned and questioned the solidarity of the US team before the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The “speech” explosive on X

It all started a post on X of Caeleb Dressel, the star who won 9 Olympic gold medals, on Friday night (August 22, 2025). Dressel posted a hidden status line:

“Some people like to shine personal but forget that swimming is the sport of the team. Focus on the team, do not just take care of the personal medal!”

Although not only the title, the online community quickly speculated the post targeting Katie Ledecky, the Queen of the Green Race with 9 Gold Medals of Olympic Gold and the world record at a free range of 800m. Just a few hours later, Ledecky responded with an equally fierce post:

“Instead of sit there, go down to the pool and prove you deserve it. Don’t let your personal ego destroy the team!”

Fans immediately divided into two sides, with the hashtag #teamerel and #teamLedecky exploded on X. Some posts also dug up stressful moments between these two stars in the past, like when Dressel is said to have “glared” at Ledecky in a team meeting against the Paris Olympic Games 2024.

Gretchen Walsh and Bobby Finke entered

The drama escalated when other athletes also jumped into the war. Gretchen Walsh, a young star who just won gold at a distance of 50m and 100m of butterflies at the 2025 World Championship, suddenly posted a video on Instagram, in which she said:

“We need real leaders, not those who only criticize their teammates to polish their names!”

Many people believe that Walsh is on the side of Ledecky, because she has publicly praised Ledecky as the “ideal model” in an previous interview. Meanwhile, Bobby Finke, a free 1500m champion, seems to defend Dressel when interviewing on ESPN:

“Caeleb just wants to be good for the team. Some people need to look back on how they act before criticizing him.”

Deep cause: Pressure from failure in Singapore?

According to internal sources (of course, fantasy!), This conflict can originate from the 2025 World Championship in Singapore, where the US team, despite the top of the medal table, only won 10 gold medals, lower than expected. Some athletes believe that Ledecky, as a veteran leader, did not inspire strong enough for the team, while Dressel was criticized for “lack of teamwork” when focusing too much on personal content.

In addition, a controversial incident within the team was leaked: Dressel and Ledecky were said to have fiery arguing in the team room about relaying strategy. A USA Swimming employee revealed:

“Caeleb wants to change the relay squad to prioritize speed, but Katie insists on the old squad. Both shouted at each other, and the atmosphere in the meeting room was stretched like a string!”

Reaction from legend and fans

Legendary Michael Phelps, who once declared retirement but still very influential, did not stand outside the scandal. On personal podcast, Phelps comment:

“I saw the US team divided before, but this time it was too much. Caeleb and Katie needed to sit together, not to fight online!”

Meanwhile, Ryan Lochte, a character that is no stranger to the drama, adds oil to the fire with a post on X:

“If this team is like this, just call me back. At least I know how to make people laugh!”

Fans on X are “crazy” with this drama. A user wrote: “This is not swimming, this is Hollywood drama!” Another commented: “Katie is the queen, but Caeleb is not wrong. Both need to stop before destroying everything!”

USA Swimming: Silence or pour more oil into the fire?

The USA Swimming (USA Swimming) has not made an official comment, but some sources believe that the organization is holding an emergency meeting to resolve conflicts. Some suggested that the lack of leadership from the Executive Board, which did not have an official CEO for nearly a year, is the reason why internal conflicts exploded.

Consequences and future of the US team

This drama not only hurt the image of the athletes but also threatened the solidarity of the US team when they prepared for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics – the Olympic Games held at home. If not resolved, this conflict can affect the spirit of competition and competitiveness with strong opponents like Australia and China.

Can Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky be able to start making peace? Or will this drama last long, turning the US swimming team into a long “play”? Follow up to update the latest developments from this shocking grove!