Doug Gjertsen
Doug Gjertsen was an excellent age group swimmer for the Dad’s Club and Stratford High School in Houston. In 1985, as a junior, he was named Texas High School Swimmer of the Year. Then in 1987 Doug attended the University of Texas where he worked with coaches, and TSDHOF inductees, Eddie Reese and Kris Kubik. Doug contributed big points on three NCAA Championship teams and was a tri-captain his senior year with Jim Henry and Kirk Stackle. At NCAA Championships he won three individual titles: 200 back in 1987 and 200 free in 1988 and 1990. Doug was also the anchor leg on nine NCAA Championship-winning relays. He was a two-time United States Olympian, winning two gold medals in 1988 in the 400 free and 800 free relays in Seoul. The 800 free relay in Seoul was a world record. In Barcelona in 1992 he won bronze in the 800 free relay and was eighth place in the 200 freestyle. Doug's love of the sport led him to become a swim coach in 1993 with Swim Atlanta and he since has led more than 165 athletes to swim at the collegiate level, among them junior and senior national champions. Doug has also coached athletes to the Olympic Trials in 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2016. In 2016 he coached two-time Olympian Amanda Weir to her third U.S. Olympic team and a spot on the 400 free relay, winning Silver in Rio de Janeiro.
