THE FLATS – Georgia Tech swimming and diving is adding another gold medal swimmer to their coaching staff with the hiring of Melanie Margalis on Wednesday.
“I am thrilled to have Melanie on board with us,” Toni M. and Richard L. Bergmark Swimming and Diving Head Coach Courtney Shealy Hart said. “Her elite level experience and passion for swimming will help continue to grow the success of our team. I am very excited to see her impact on our program.”
Margalis joins Hart as Olympic gold medalists on the Georgia Tech coaching staff. Hart has two gold medals from the 2000 Olympics while Margalis earned a gold in the 2016 Olympics in the 4×200 freestyle team while also competing in the 200 IM placing fourth, narrowly missing her second medal of the games.
The gold medalist has also showed recent success in the pool as she won a bronze for the United States at Short Course Worlds in the 400 IM while also finishing just off the podium in fourth in the 200 IM.
I’m so thankful to Courtney and the Georgia Tech athletic department for this opportunity! After swimming for these coaches for the last year, I cannot wait to work alongside them,” Margalis said of her recent experience at Georgia Tech.
“I always knew I wanted to use my swimming experience to help the next generation and I’m ready to pass along all of my knowledge. I’m so excited for the future of this program and feel extremely grateful that I get to be a part of it.”
Margalis also brings national championship pedigree as she was part of the 2013 and 2014 women’s NCAA National Championship teams. Margalis was a key member of both teams earning All-American honors in the 200 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay in 2013.
She improved this impact with a fourth-place finish in the 200 breast, third place in the 400 IM and second place in the 200 IM while also swimming on the third place 400 medley relay team and fourth place 400 free relay team in 2014. In total, she is a 17-time All-American.
With Margalis’ hire, the White and Gold have 61 All-American honors earned by coaches during their collegiate athlete days, are the only power five program in the nation to have three full-time female coaches on staff and top ACC schools with three Olympic gold medals across their coaching staff.
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