Caeleb Dressel, Simone Manuel settle for relay spots in 100 free - ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS — Coming back from long layoffs, American swimming stars Caeleb Dressel and Simone Manuel had to settle for relay spots at the Olympics on Wednesday night.

Dressel, the winner of five gold medals at the Tokyo Games, won't get a chance to defend his 100-meter freestyle title in Paris after a third-place finish at the U.S. trials behind Chris Guiliano and Jack Alexy.

Manuel finished fourth in the women's 100 freestyle, with potential breakout star Kate Douglass claiming the victory and Torri Huske the second spot.

Only the top two in each event will get to race individually at the Olympics, but the top four are assured of a spots in the 4x100 freestyle relays.

Dressel was all smiles as he hugged the swimmers ahead of him, saying he was pleased to be on the relay that will set its sights on taking down the world record at the Olympics.

«That's an unbelievably fast top four, top five — oh my gosh, the top six,» he said, looking at the times on the scoreboard at Lucas Oil Stadium. «That's a great group of guys. It's fast.»

Dressel and Manuel still have a shot to earn individual races in Paris. Dressel has the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly — two other events he won in Tokyo — while Manuel has the 50 free.

In perhaps the surest bet of the trials, Katie Ledecky claimed her third victory at Lucas Oil Stadium with another dominating performance in the 1,500 freestyle.

Ledecky added to her victories in the 200 and 400 free, though she doesn't plan to swim the shorter event in Paris. She's also a huge favorite to take the 800 free title before she leaves Indy.

Manuel, the first Black woman to capture an individual swimming gold when she tied for the top spot in this event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, had hoped to