FOR THE RECORD: 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (10km), bronze (1500m freestyle); 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (1500m freestyle) First African male swimmer to win Olympic gold in an individual event and his country’s second gold medal ever; 2000, 2004, 2016, 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES: Participant; 2013 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (5km), bronze (10km); 2010 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (1500m freestyle), silver (400m IM), bronze (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle); 2009 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (1500m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle, 800m freestyle); 2005 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze (400m IM, 400m freestyle); 2004 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (400m IM), bronze (200m IM); 2003 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze (400m IM); NCAA 16-time All-American.
Ous Mellouli was born in Tunis, Tunisa, to a mother who had a phobia of open water. She was a teacher who frequented the beach and saw many drownings firsthand. In 1984, the year Mellouli was born, his hometown of La Marsa inaugurated its first municipal pool. His mother immediately took him and his siblings for lessons. After the swim school, swim clubs emerged, and Ous joined in. His first team was “L’avenir Sportif de la Marsa”, but it was his first coach, the late Mouldi Dahman, who created the competitive spirit inside him that remained with him throughout his entire career.
Mellouli left Tunisia at 15 to study and train in France. He competed in his first Olympic Games in 2000 at the age of 16, swimming in the 400m IM. After graduating high school, he was recruited by Mark Schubert at the University of Southern California.
As a freshman in 2003 Mellouli proved to be an immediate force, establishing himself as one of the top swimmers in the country. At the 2003 FINA World Championships, he began to make a name for himself when he took bronze in the 400m IM behind Phelps and Lazlo Cseh. A year later at the 2004 FINA SC World Championships, he won his first world title in the 400m IM. That gold was the first swimming world championship for Tunisia and the second in any sport.
After a successful collegiate career, Mellouli hit a new stride with an unfamiliar face in the distance swimming world, Coach Dave Salo, known more as a sprint coach.
At the 2008 Olympic Games, Mellouli became the first person to defeat Australia’s Grant Hackett in 11 years in the 1500m freestyle, winning the gold medal for Tunisia’s first-ever swimming Olympic title. In 2009 at the FINA World Championships, he won the mile again and reached the podium twice more in the 400m and 800m freestyle with second place finishes in each.
After the inaugural Olympic Open Water 10km event in 2008, Mellouli decided to take on a new challenge, and luckily, he had USC assistant coach and Open Water specialist, Catherine Vogt, there to help. Ous said that Vogt’s passion and enthusiasm for Open Water was contagious and invigorating.
In April of 2012, Mellouli competed in his first 10km event at the FINA Open Water World Cup in Cancun. His first attempt in a completely different environment, he finished 11th, but Ous emerged from the warm ocean and simply said, “That was fun!”
True to the sport, in June 2012, the next event WAS completely different. Mellouli entered the first FINA Marathon Swimming Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament in Portugal. The water was cold, the waves were high, and the currents were strong, but this time Ous came away the winner.
Mellouli was headed to London for his third Olympic appearance. On August 4, 2012, he won bronze in the men’s 1500m freestyle. After fighting off an illness for the past week, on August 10, 2012, Mellouli jumped into London’s Serpentine and won gold in a dominant fashion. He became the first swimmer in history to win Olympic gold in both the pool and in Open Water. This became known as “The Mellouli Double”.
Mellouli continued swimming both in the pool and in the open water events, competing in three more Olympic Games and three World Championships. In 2013 at the Barcelona World Championships, Mellouli won bronze in the 10km and gold in the 5km. He became once more the first swimmer to become world champion both in the pool and in open water. By the end of his career, he had competed in an amazing six Olympic Games and earned a total of 66 medals in international competition; 37 gold, 15 silver, and 14 bronze.
FOR THE RECORD: 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (10km), bronze (1500m freestyle); 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (1500m freestyle) First African male swimmer to win Olympic gold in an individual event and his country’s second gold medal ever; 2000, 2004, 2016, 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES: Participant; 2013 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (5km), bronze (10km); 2010 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (1500m freestyle), silver (400m IM), bronze (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle); 2009 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (1500m freestyle), silver (400m freestyle, 800m freestyle); 2005 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze (400m IM, 400m freestyle); 2004 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (400m IM), bronze (200m IM); 2003 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze (400m IM); NCAA 16-time All-American.
Ous Mellouli was born in Tunis, Tunisa, to a mother who had a phobia of open water. She was a teacher who frequented the beach and saw many drownings firsthand. In 1984, the year Mellouli was born, his hometown of La Marsa inaugurated its first municipal pool. His mother immediately took him and his siblings for lessons. After the swim school, swim clubs emerged, and Ous joined in. His first team was “L’avenir Sportif de la Marsa”, but it was his first coach, the late Mouldi Dahman, who created the competitive spirit inside him that remained with him throughout his entire career.
Mellouli left Tunisia at 15 to study and train in France. He competed in his first Olympic Games in 2000 at the age of 16, swimming in the 400m IM. After graduating high school, he was recruited by Mark Schubert at the University of Southern California.
As a freshman in 2003 Mellouli proved to be an immediate force, establishing himself as one of the top swimmers in the country. At the 2003 FINA World Championships, he began to make a name for himself when he took bronze in the 400m IM behind Phelps and Lazlo Cseh. A year later at the 2004 FINA SC World Championships, he won his first world title in the 400m IM. That gold was the first swimming world championship for Tunisia and the second in any sport.
After a successful collegiate career, Mellouli hit a new stride with an unfamiliar face in the distance swimming world, Coach Dave Salo, known more as a sprint coach.
At the 2008 Olympic Games, Mellouli became the first person to defeat Australia’s Grant Hackett in 11 years in the 1500m freestyle, winning the gold medal for Tunisia’s first-ever swimming Olympic title. In 2009 at the FINA World Championships, he won the mile again and reached the podium twice more in the 400m and 800m freestyle with second place finishes in each.
After the inaugural Olympic Open Water 10km event in 2008, Mellouli decided to take on a new challenge, and luckily, he had USC assistant coach and Open Water specialist, Catherine Vogt, there to help. Ous said that Vogt’s passion and enthusiasm for Open Water was contagious and invigorating.
In April of 2012, Mellouli competed in his first 10km event at the FINA Open Water World Cup in Cancun. His first attempt in a completely different environment, he finished 11th, but Ous emerged from the warm ocean and simply said, “That was fun!”
True to the sport, in June 2012, the next event WAS completely different. Mellouli entered the first FINA Marathon Swimming Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament in Portugal. The water was cold, the waves were high, and the currents were strong, but this time Ous came away the winner.
Mellouli was headed to London for his third Olympic appearance. On August 4, 2012, he won bronze in the men’s 1500m freestyle. After fighting off an illness for the past week, on August 10, 2012, Mellouli jumped into London’s Serpentine and won gold in a dominant fashion. He became the first swimmer in history to win Olympic gold in both the pool and in Open Water. This became known as “The Mellouli Double”.
Mellouli continued swimming both in the pool and in the open water events, competing in three more Olympic Games and three World Championships. In 2013 at the Barcelona World Championships, Mellouli won bronze in the 10km and gold in the 5km. He became once more the first swimmer to become world champion both in the pool and in open water. By the end of his career, he had competed in an amazing six Olympic Games and earned a total of 66 medals in international competition; 37 gold, 15 silver, and 14 bronze.