Ous Mellouli (Tunisia, 41, World Aquatics bio here, MSF bio here) won 66 international medals in his lengthy career, including a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle in 2008 Beijing Olympics, and a silver medal in the 1500m freestyle and a gold medal in the 10 km at the 2012 London Olympics.

Olympic Career

He competed in the following 5 Olympic Games, beginning at the age of 16 years old and finishing at 37 years:

• 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 400m IM
• 2004 Athens Olympics in the 400m IM, 200m IM, and 1500m freestyle
• 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, and 1500m freestyle
• 2012 London Olympics in the 1500m freestyle and 10 km
• 2016 Rio Olympics in the 1500m freestyle and 10 km
• 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 10 km

International Podium Position

Over the course of his career, he consistently placed well:

• He won a bronze medal in the 400m IM at the 2003 World Championships.
• He won a gold medal in the 400m IM and a bronze medal in the 200m IM in the 2004 World Championships.
• He won bronze medals in the 400m IM and 400m freestyle in the 2005 World Championships.
• He won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle and a gold medal in the 800m freestyle (both subsequently nullified for a 2006 failed drug test) at the 2007 World Championships.
• He won a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle and two silver medals in the 400m freestyle and 800m freestyle in the 2009 World Championships.
• He won a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle, a silver medal in the 400m IM, and 2 bronze medals in the 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle at the 2010 World Championships.
• He won a gold medal in the 5 km race and a bronze in the 10 km race at the 2013 World Championships.
• He finished 12th, only 7 seconds behind the gold medalist, in the 2016 Rio Olympics 10 km

Mellouli wrote about his induction, “This coronation or honoring or commemorating that the health of the phrase is important. It’s a great confession that enters me again in history, but this time it wasn’t about the pursuit of the winners but with the votes of the men and the top game specialists in the world. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. The love of sports unites me and I am grateful to them that I have lived this noble honor.

In my career, I had an important share of honors and honors from presidents of Tunisia, governors, princes of Arab countries and senior officials in many countries of the world. They are all dear to me and as a token of love and appreciation that words cannot describe. But this tribute has an exceptional and special tone. I am very proud that my name and the name of my country Tunisia are organized to the list of swimming legends in the world and there are those who had a great influence on me in my beginnings and I consider them the main reason for my love and attachment to this sport like Russian Vladimir Selnikov (the first swimmer to break the 15 minute barrier in 1500 freestyle) or Australian Kieran Perkins (Barcelona 92 went, Atlanta 96) and many other swimming champions in the 90s. And I was talking to my brothers, mother, and father those days and saying to them, I wish I was like Fulan!

And in fact, there are other names worthy of this crowning and I dedicate this unique honor to them. All those people who shared my career and believed in me when I was young and I did not have enough confidence or courage in myself to dream of one day being a world champion or an Olympic champion. Every trainer I trained under his guidance and advice, every official honored and contributed to my career, every journalist followed and commented on the events of the championships I participated in in Tunisia and abroad, and the price of my efforts, and every doctor helped me overcome and resist injuries, and every friend and brother stood by my side. And help me in difficult times and share my joy in the days of victory and every lover wrote to me with thanks and congratulations, and increased in me determination and insistence. And my mother and father, and it is impossible for me to explain why or express the right of expression the giant role they played. Thank you for everything and only. And thank you all. I wish you with sincerity and sincerity that victory will be your ally and success will be your portion and everyone you love.

And the last thing to say is Thank God.”

ISHOF Honor

The International Swimming Hall of Fame will induct Mellouli as an Honor Swimmer at its 60th Anniversary ISHOF Honoree Induction Ceremony in Singapore on July 28th during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. 

Pantheon of History’s Greatest Competitive Distance Freestylers

With 66 international podium positions and the first and only double gold medalist in the Olympic pool and open water swimming history, Mellouli should go down in history as one of the greatest competitive distance swimmers in history – among the following individuals:

• Vladimir Salnikov (Владимир Валерьевич Сальников, Russia, World Aquatics bio here) set 12 world records in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle who won 3 Olympic gold medals in the 400m and 1500m in 1980 and 1500m in 1988
• Murray Rose, AM (Australia, World Aquatics bio here) was a 6-time Olympic medalist (4 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) who held the world records in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle (long course) and won gold in the 400m and 1500m freestyles
• Grant Hackett (Australia, World Aquatics bio here) won 46 podium positions including the 1500m at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and a silver in the 400m; he remained undefeated from 1996 to 2007 in the 1500m and held world records in the 200m, 800m and 1500m freestyles
• Michael Burton (USA, World Aquatics bio here) was a 3-time Olympic champion and world record holder: 2 golds in 1968 (400m and 1500m freestyles) and 1 gold in 1972 (1500m freestyle)
• Kieren Perkins, OAM (Australia, World Aquatics bio here) won 2 Olympic golds in 1992 and 1996 in the 1500m freestyle and a silver in the 2000 Olympic 1500m freestyle
• Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil, World Aquatics bio here, MSF bio here) won 81 international podium positions, all open water
• Thomas Lurz (Germany, World Aquatics bio here, MSF bio here) won 59 international podium positions, including one bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle at the 2003 FINA World Cup
• Petar Stoychev (Bulgaria, World Aquatics bio here, MSF bio here) won 42 international podium positions, all open water
• Shelley Taylor-Smith (Australia, World Aquatics bio here, MSF bio here) won 7 women’s professional marathon swimming titles and an unprecedented number (51) of professional marathon swims
• Edith van Dijk, PhD (Netherlands, World Aquatics bio here, MSF bio here) won 17 international podium positions, all open water
• Angela Maurer (Germany, World Aquatics bio here, MSF bio here) won 56 international podium positions, all open water
• Britta Kamrau (Germany, World Aquatics bio here, MSF bio here) won 26 international podium positions, all open water
• Paul Asmuth (USA, MSF bio here) finished 59 professional marathon swims, winning every major race at least once.
• John Kinsella (USA, World Aquatic bio here, MSF bio here) won every major professional marathon swim he entered
• [still active] Gregorio Paltrinieri (Italy, World Aquatics bio here, MSF bio here) has won 51 international podium positions including a bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle at the 2013 World Championships, a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle and a silver medal in the 800m freestyle, a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics, a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle and a bronze medal in the 800m freestyle in the 2017 World Championships, a gold medal in the 10 km at the 2017 World University Games, a silver medal in the mixed 5 km relay, a gold medal in the 800m freestyle, and a bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle at the 2019 World Championships, a silver medal in the 800m freestyle and a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle, a gold medal in the mixed 4x1500m relay, a gold medal in the 10 km, and a silver medal in the 5 km at the 2022 World Championships, a silver medal in the 1500m freestyle at the 2012 World Championships (short course), a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle at the 2014 World Championships (short course), a silver medal in the 1500m freestyle at the 2016 World Championships (short course), a silver medal in the 1500m freestyle in the 2018 World Championships (short course), and two gold medals in the 800m freestyle and the 1500m freestyle at the 2022 World Championships (short course).

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