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 Melanie Renée Schlanger, is an amazing Australian freestyle swimmer. She has won many medals, including two Olympic gold medals! Melanie started representing Australia in 2006. Her swimming career lasted for ten years, ending after the 2015 World Championships. She competed in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics.
Contents
Melanie's Early Life
Melanie was born and grew up on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. She enjoyed many different sports when she was younger. Surprisingly, she only started swimming seriously when she was 14 years old. Melanie finished her high school studies at Immanuel Lutheran College. She is the youngest of two children. Her older siblings are Nikki and Adam. Her parents are Paul and Linda.
Swimming Career Highlights
Melanie first tasted success as part of the Australian team. In 2007, her team won a gold medal in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay at the World Championships. A relay race is where four swimmers each swim a part of the total distance. In the same year, Melanie also helped set a new world record. This was for Australia's short course 4 x 100 freestyle relay.
Olympic Achievements
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Melanie helped Australia win a bronze medal. She swam the third part of the 4×100-metre freestyle relay. She also swam in the heats for the 4×200-metre freestyle relay. Her team then won a gold medal in the final, setting a new world record!
In 2012, at the London Olympics, Melanie was a key swimmer. She swam the final part of the 4×100-metre freestyle relay. Her team won the gold medal for Australia. This was the only gold medal for the Australian swimming team at those Olympics. She also earned two silver medals. These were in the Women's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay and the Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay.
Later Career and Retirement
In 2014, Melanie helped break another world record. This was with the Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay team. This new record was even faster than records set when swimmers used special "super suits."
After the 2015 World Championships, Melanie faced a challenge. She had a rib stress fracture that had bothered her before. Around the same time, she got accepted into a medical program at Bond University. Melanie decided to retire from swimming to focus on becoming a doctor.
Melanie has also been an ambassador for several brands. These include Speedo and Bodyscience. She also supported the Brisbane Lions and the Qld Games Foundation. Today, Melanie works as a doctor on the Sunshine Coast.
Melanie's Best Swim Times
Here are some of Melanie's fastest times in swimming competitions:
| Long Course (Standard Pool Length) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Time | Date | Location |
| 50 m freestyle | 24.39 seconds | 2014-07-26 | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 100 m freestyle | 53.38 seconds | 2012-08-01 | London, England |
| 100 m freestyle (Relay Part) | 52.47 seconds | 2012-08-08 | London, England |
| 200 m freestyle | 1 minute, 56.73 seconds | 2012-03-17 | Adelaide, Australia |
| 200 m freestyle (Relay Part) | 1 minute, 55.58 seconds | 2012-08-06 | London, England |
Life Outside the Pool
Melanie married fellow Olympic swimmer Chris Wright in September 2014. Their wedding took place in Brisbane, Australia. Many of their friends who are also Olympians were part of their wedding party. These included Leisel Jones and Christian Sprenger.
Melanie and Chris Wright now have two children, a boy and a girl. Melanie continued her studies while also raising her children.
Education and Studies
Melanie is not just a talented swimmer; she is also very smart! She has earned several academic degrees:
- 2016 – 2020: Doctor of Medicine, including a Bachelor of Medical Studies – Bond University
- 2013 – 2015: Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Bond University
- 2005 – 2009: Bachelor of Science, majoring in Biomedicine – University of Queensland
- 2012: Diploma of Business – QLD TAFE
- 2012: Certificate III & IV in Fitness – Fitnance
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
