Melanie Schlanger in Time-Trials

Australian Freestyle Swimmer Bound for Beijing 2008 Olympics

Mar 18, 2008

Melanie Schlanger is one of at least four Australian women to compete in the 100m freestyle time-trials for Beijing 2008. Only two women are selected per individual race

With the Beijing 2008 Olympics fast approaching, the competition is hotting up to grab reigning Olympic champion Jodie Henry’s vacant spot in the Australian national swimming team. Swimmers are ready to fill the vacuum created in the individual women’s 100m freestyle: Alice Mills, Shane Reese, Cate Campbell and Melanie Schlanger. There are only two individual swimming places available, and if Libby Lenton performs well as is her usual standard, she will certainly retain her spot.

Melanie Schlanger is Libby Lenton’s training partner and last year was a member of the gold medal-winning quartet in the 4x100m freestyle relay of the World Championships in Melbourne. Later in the year, just before Christmas, Melanie beat Lenton for the first time in a local race. The upcoming March 2008 Australian Championships in Sydney are the time-trials for Beijing team selection, so Melanie has the chance to show that she is indeed an individual freestyle swimmer in her own right.

Melanie excelled at a young age in athletics but switched to swimming at age 14. During high school, she became a school celebrity because of her swimming prowess, and at age 21, she returned to school as a legend to give motivational talks to the next generation of students.

At one stage, at age 18, talent scouts from University of Hawaii recruited Melanie to swim for their university under scholarship while studying science. She reported many wonderful moments and made many friends but returned home-sick after two years.

Melanie Schlanger now lives in Brisbane where she trains and attends Queensland University to complete her science degree and hopes to enter the school of medicine next. Her training regime at Commercial club under Coach Stephan Widmer is disciplined and rigorous: three hours in the pool in the early hours of the morning and two hours in the afternoon. Somehow she also finds time during the day to build up her physical frame in the gymnasium. After the Saturday morning swim it’s time off, and most weekends Melanie travels 150km North along the Sunshine Coast back home to visit Mum and Dad in Buderim North.

Melanie swam serious times, showing great potential to become an Olympic swimmer when she returned a personal best of 54.7s in the 100m freestyle less than two years ago. In 2008 she has the chance to “take the next step” and make the team to go to Beijing as an individual and 4x100m freestyle relay swimmer.

The copyright of the article Melanie Schlanger in Time-Trials in Olympic Swimming is owned by Harry P. Schlanger. Permission to republish Melanie Schlanger in Time-Trials in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.