The ultimate goal of any competitive swimmer is quite simple: Olympic gold. Melvin Stewart, a UT alumnus, realized that goal not once, but twice in a remarkable swimming career filled with honors and records. He was a mainstay for Coach John Tremble’s UT swimmers during his collegiate career from 1989 to 1991. He finished his senior season ranked in the nation’s top five in the 100-fly, 200-fly, and 100-back and was NCAA champion in the 200-butterfly in 1989 and 1991. While a Volunteer, Stewart earned All-America honors a remarkable fifteen times! He holds four individual school records and is a member of one school record relay team. As adept in the classroom as he was in the pool, Stewart was named to the 1991 SEC Men’s Swimming Academic Honor Roll. But that was just college! After graduating, Stewart won 1992 Olympic gold medals at Barcelona, Spain, in the 200-butterfly and as a member of the 400-medley relay team. And, he won a bronze medal on the U.S. 800-freestyle relay team. To add to a string of international successes, Stewart also held the world record in the 200-meter butterfly, swimming 1:55.69 during the World Swimming Championships at Perth, Australia, in 1991. With such an impressive list of medals and records, it is no surprise that Melvin Stewart was the 1993 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Co-Amateur Athlete of the Year.
