THE FLATS – Melanie Margalis Fink, an Olympic gold medalist, NCAA champion and 17-time all-American, has returned to Georgia Tech’s swimming and diving program as assistant coach, Georgia Tech Toni M. and Richard L. Bergmark swimming and diving head coach John Ames announced on Thursday.
“We are thrilled to welcome Melanie Fink back to the Georgia Tech swimming and diving family,” Ames said. “As an accomplished Olympian and seasoned competitor at the highest levels of our sport, Melanie brings a wealth of experience, insight and passion to our program. Her return to The Flats is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to learn from one of the best.”
Margalis Fink, who originally served as an assistant coach at Tech during the 2022-23 season, returns to The Flats after spending the last two seasons in the same role at SMU. During her previous stint at Tech, she worked primarily with IM and lower-middle distance swimmers.
Margalis Fink arrived at Georgia Tech in 2022 following the conclusion of her own world-class career in the pool. Most notably, she won gold as a member of the United States’ 4×200 freestyle team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and nearly claimed a second medal at the 2016 Games when she placed fourth in the 200 IM.
Her international career also included gold medals at the 2017 and 2019 long-course world championships, gold at the 2018 short-course world championships and a bronze medal at the 2021 short-course worlds. In all, she owns a total of eight medals from world-championship events.
Collegiately, Margalis Fink was a 17-time all-American at Georgia, where she helped lead UGA to national championships in 2013 and 2014. She was a key member of both teams, earning all-America honors in the 200 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay in 2013, while placing second in the 200 IM, third in the 400 IM and 400 medley relay and fourth in the 200 breast and 400 free relay in 2014.
“Coming back to Atlanta feels like coming home. I’m grateful to John for the opportunity to rejoin Georgia Tech swimming and diving,” Margalis Fink said. “Training and competing in a pool that once hosted the Olympic Games adds something special to every practice. I’m looking forward to contributing to the growth of our student-athletes, both in and out of the pool.”
Margalis Fink graduated from Georgia in 2014 with a B.S. in family and consumer sciences/fashion merchandising. She is married to Olympic silver medalist and world-record holder Nic Fink, who holds a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Georgia Tech. The couple has a son.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and at www.ramblinwreck.com.
