BUDAPEST, Hungary — Michael Phelps, you’ve got company.

Caeleb Dressel won his seventh gold medal of the world championships Sunday, putting the U.S. team ahead to stay with another dominating swim in the 4×100-meter medley relay.

Twenty-four hours after becoming the first swimmer to win three golds in one night at a major international meet, Dressel joined Phelps in another elite club: seven golds at the biggest meet after the Olympics.

Phelps was the first to do it at the 2007 worlds in Melbourne, Australia – a prelude to his unprecedented eight golds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Dressel matched the feat along the banks of the Danube, emerging as America’s next swimming sensation.

The 20-year-old University of Florida student won three individual golds and was part of four winning relay teams.

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“I’m pretty tired, but, you know, it’s been a good season, a good year, and to put together a seven-day meet, it’s a really nice feeling,” Dressel said. “There’s a lot more that goes into this than just the seven days that people see, so I’m very happy to be done.”

It was a big night all around for the Americans.

Lilly King set her second individual world record of the meet in the 50 breaststroke, again besting Russian rival Yulia Efimova, and returned as part of the women’s 4×100 medley relay that also broke the world record.

“I couldn’t imagine a better finish to this meet,” King said.

Chase Kalisz swept the men’s individual medleys to carry on America’s dominance in those races, even without Phelps and Ryan Lochte.

The U.S. finished with 18 golds and 38 medals overall – a huge improvement over the previous worlds two years ago in Kazan.


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