Trojan assistant coach to compete in the Olympics


Second-year USC graduate swimming coach Ous Mellouli, in only his second open-water race, won the men’s 10K at the FINA Olympic marathon swimming qualifier in Setubal, Portugal, last week.

Mellouli won the race in 1:45:18.5, more than 11 seconds ahead of Canada’s Richard Weinberger, who took second in 1:45:30.2.

Mellouli, who swam for the Trojans from 2003 to 2006, was already competing in the 200-meter, 400-meter and 1500-meter freestyle. He was a 2005 NCAA champion in the 400-yard individual medley, a seven-time Pac-10 title winner and a 16-time All-American during his four years.

Mellouli won a gold medal in the 1,500-meter in the 2008 Olympics for his native Tunisia — the country’s first ever swimming Olympic title. He graduated  with a degree in computer engineering and computer science.