Doug Gjertsen is a two-time Olympian who swam for SwimAtlanta and the University of Texas Longhorns. Gjertsen began swimming in Georgia in 1976 and was one of the first families to join Swim Atlanta in 1977, the year of its inception. In 1984, Gjertsen held the National Record for the men’s 15-16-year-old 200y backstroke. While with the Longhorns from 1987-1990, Gjertsen earned multiple individual and relay NCAA title championships. He was also part of the 1988, 1989, and 1990 Longhorn’s NCAA Championship team under Eddie Reese. Gjertsen’s Olympic experiences took him to the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, where he earned two gold medals and one bronze, respectively. He was a member of the 1989 Pac-Pacific team and 1991 World Championship team, where he earned medals in both competitions. In 2006, Gjertsen was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor.

Gjertsen went on to coach with SwimAtlanta in 1993. Since then, he has coached Junior and Senior National finalists and champions, over 100 athletes who went on to swim collegiately, Olympic Trials qualifiers spanning from 1996-2016, and most notably, 3x Olympian Amanda Weir.

Career Highlights

• 1988 USA Olympic Team 2x gold medalist
• 1992 USA Olympic Team bronze medalist
• 1989 Pan-Pacific 3x gold medalist and bronze medalist
• 1991 World Championship gold and silver medalist
• 13x NCAA Champion (3x individual, 10x relay)
• American and World Record holder