Melanie Schlanger facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | "Mel", "Schlangs" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 31 August 1986 Nambour, Queensland |
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| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Maroochydore SC, Commercial SC, Southport SC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Brian Stehr, Chris Mooney, Stephan Widmer, Glenn Baker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Melanie Renée Wright (born 31 August 1986), also known by her maiden name Melanie Schlanger, is a famous Australian freestyle swimmer. She is known for winning many medals for Australia, including two gold medals at the Olympic Games.
Melanie first swam for Australia in 2006. Her amazing career lasted for ten years, ending after the 2015 World Championships. She competed in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, where she won five Olympic medals.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Swimming
Melanie was born and grew up on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. She enjoyed many different sports when she was young. Surprisingly, she only started swimming seriously when she was 14 years old.
She went to Immanuel Lutheran College for her high school studies. Melanie is the youngest of two children. Her older siblings are Nikki and Adam. Her parents are Paul and Linda.
Melanie's Swimming Career
Melanie first tasted success in 2007. She was part of the Australian team that won a gold medal in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay at the World Championships. In the same year, Melanie also helped Australia set a new world record in the short course 4 x 100 freestyle relay.
Olympic Achievements
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Melanie helped Australia win a bronze medal. She swam in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay. She also earned a gold medal in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay. The team set a new world record in that race!
In 2012, at the London Olympic Games, Melanie was a key swimmer. She helped the 4×100-metre freestyle relay team win a gold medal for Australia. This was the only gold medal for the Australian swimming team at those Games! She also won two silver medals in other relay races: the 4×200-metre freestyle relay and the 4×100-metre medley relay.
Breaking World Records
In 2014, Melanie was part of another amazing team. They broke a world record in the Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay. This was a special achievement because they beat a record set during a time when swimmers used special "super suits."
Retirement and New Career
After the 2015 World Championships, Melanie faced a challenge. She had a rib injury that kept coming back. Around the same time, she got accepted into a medical program at Bond University. Melanie decided to retire from swimming to follow her dream of becoming a doctor.
Today, Melanie works as a doctor on the Sunshine Coast. She is also an ambassador for several brands, including Speedo and Bodyscience.
Personal Bests
Here are some of Melanie's best times in swimming:
| Long Course (Standard Pool Length) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Time | Date | Location |
| 50 m freestyle | 24.39 | 2014-07-26 | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 100 m freestyle | 53.38 | 2012-08-01 | London, England |
| 100 m freestyle (Relay Start) | 52.47 | 2012-08-08 | London, England |
| 200 m freestyle | 1.56.73 | 2012-03-17 | Adelaide, Australia |
| 200 m freestyle (Relay Start) | 1:55.58 | 2012-08-06 | London, England |
Melanie's Personal Life
In September 2014, Melanie married another Olympic swimmer named Chris Wright. Their wedding was in Brisbane, Australia. Many of their friends who are also Olympians were part of their wedding party. These included Leisel Jones, Alice Tait, Christian Sprenger, and Gregor Tait.
Melanie and Chris now have two children, a boy and a girl. Melanie continued her studies while raising her children, showing how dedicated she is.
Education
Melanie has achieved a lot in her studies too:
- Doctor of Medicine – Bond University (2016 – 2020)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Bond University (2013 – 2015)
- Bachelor of Science – University of Queensland (2005 – 2009)
See also
In Spanish: Melanie Schlanger para niños
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
- List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (women)
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
