Several top swimmers skipping world championships to focus on mental health

Caeleb Dressel failed to qualify for the biggest swim meet of the year. Simone Manuel didn't even try.

Adam Peaty is taking an extended break to deal with mental health issues. Kristof Milak decided he was in no shape — mentally or physically — to compete this summer.

Some of the world's greatest swimmers are missing the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, as they deal with burnout and the enormous toll the sport takes on their bodies and minds.

Dressel, who won five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, walked away in the middle of last summer's worlds in Budapest, Hungary. The 26-year-old Floridian was overwhelmed by the pressure and stress, forcing him to take an extended break.

"The easiest way to put it is my body kept score. A lot of things I had shut down, and it all came boiling up," Dressel said recently at the U.S. national championships. "It wasn't just one thing where I was like, 'I think I need to step away.' It was a bunch of things that kind of came crumbling down at once. And I knew that was my red flag right there. Multiple red flags. It was a giant red flag."

Dressel only returned to training in late February. That didn't leave him nearly enough time to get up to speed for the U.S. nationals, which served as the trials for the world championships.

Dressel failed to finish higher than third in any of his events, a stunning drop from where he was just two years ago in Tokyo.

WATCH | Canada's top moments at aquatics worlds:

Manuel, whose groundbreaking career includes five Olympic medals and a pair of golds, stepped away from the sport after Tokyo to deal with burnout.

The American star knew she was in no condition to compete for a spot on the powerful U.S. team at this year's worlds. Having moved to