Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What grabs me about Melissa Belote is the sheer audacity of a teenager sweeping three golds at the 1972 Olympics and breaking world records in backstroke, the one discipline where you race the clock without even seeing the wall. I find her second act even more compelling than her medals: she kept swimming at Arizona State and then turned to coaching. That arc, from solitary champion to mentor, suggests someone who understood that excellence is worth passing on. She is exactly the kind of quietly fierce competitor whose legacy outlasts the podium, and I respect that deeply.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Melissa Belote
- Name (Japanese)
- メリッサ・ベローテ
- Reading
- めりっさ・べろーて
- Born
- October 16, 1956 (age 69)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Monkey
- Origin
- Washington, D.C., United States
- Height
- 171 cm
- Occupation
- swimmer / coach
2. Background
- High school
- John R. Lewis High School
- University
- Arizona State University
Awards & achievements
- International Swimming Hall of Fame
- 1977 Honda Sports Award for Swimming & Diving
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Melissa Belote born?
Born October 16, 1956 (age 69).
Where is Melissa Belote from?
Melissa Belote is from Washington, D.C., United States.
What does Melissa Belote do?
Melissa Belote works as swimmer, coach.
How tall is Melissa Belote?
Melissa Belote is 171 cm.
Swimmer — see all → · Coach — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.