Kelsi Worrell Dahlia (née Worrell; born July 15, 1994) is a former American competitive swimmer specializing in butterfly and freestyle events. At the 2018 World Championships, Dahlia won nine total medals of which seven were gold medals.[5][6] She qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 100-meter butterfly and won a gold medal in the 4 x 100-meter medley relay for swimming in the heats.[7]

Quick Facts Personal information, Birth name ...
Kelsi Dahlia
Dahlia in 2017
Personal information
Birth nameKelsi Worrell
Full nameKelsi Worrell Dahlia
NationalityAmerican
Born (1994-07-15) July 15, 1994 (age 30)[1]
Voorhees Township, New Jersey, U.S.[2]
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[2]
Weight165 lb (75 kg)[2]
SpouseTom Dahlia (m. 2017)
Relative(s)Siblings: Kyle Worrell, Jarrod Worrell, Lindi Worrell, Taylor Worrell, Skylar Worrell
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesButterfly, freestyle
ClubCali Condors[3]
Cardinal Aquatics
College teamUniversity of Louisville[4]
CoachArthur Albiero
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2016 Rio de Janeiro4×100 m medley
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place2017 Budapest4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place2017 Budapest4×100 m medley
Gold medal – first place2017 Budapest4×100 m mixed freestyle
Gold medal – first place2017 Budapest4×100 m mixed medley
Gold medal – first place2019 Gwangju4×100 m medley
Silver medal – second place2019 Gwangju4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place2019 Gwangju4×100 m mixed medley
Bronze medal – third place2017 Budapest100 m butterfly
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place2016 Windsor4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place2016 Windsor4×50 m medley
Gold medal – first place2016 Windsor4×100 m medley
Gold medal – first place2018 Hangzhou100 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place2018 Hangzhou4×50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place2018 Hangzhou4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place2018 Hangzhou4×50 m medley
Gold medal – first place2018 Hangzhou4×100 m medley
Gold medal – first place2018 Hangzhou4×50 m mixed freestyle
Gold medal – first place2018 Hangzhou4×50 m mixed medley
Silver medal – second place2016 Windsor50 m butterfly
Silver medal – second place2016 Windsor100 m butterfly
Silver medal – second place2016 Windsor200 m butterfly
Silver medal – second place2018 Hangzhou200 m butterfly
Bronze medal – third place2018 Hangzhou50 m butterfly
Pan Pacific Championships
Silver medal – second place 2018 Tokyo 100 m butterfly
Silver medal – second place 2018 Tokyo 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2018 Tokyo 4×100 m medley
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto 100 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto 4×100 m medley
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto 4×100 m freestyle
Representing the Louisville Cardinals
NCAA Championships
Gold medal – first place2015 Greensboro100 y butterfly
Gold medal – first place2015 Greensboro200 y butterfly
Gold medal – first place2016 Atlanta100 y butterfly
Gold medal – first place2016 Atlanta200 y butterfly
Silver medal – second place2014 Minneapolis100 y butterfly
Silver medal – second place2015 Greensboro4×50 y medley
Silver medal – second place2016 Atlanta4×100 y medley
Bronze medal – third place2015 Greensboro50 y freestyle
Bronze medal – third place2016 Atlanta4×50 y medley
Close

As part of the International Swimming League she competes for the Cali Condors.

Early life and education

Born in Voorhees Township, New Jersey, Worrell grew up in Westampton Township, New Jersey where she swam for Jersey Storm Swimming and Tarnsfield Swim Club her whole childhood. She attended Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly, where she graduated as part of the class of 2012.[2]

Career

College

As a senior at Louisville, she won the Honda Sports Award in the swimming & diving category in 2016.[8][9]

2015

At the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, she won the gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly.[4][10]

Worrell held the American record in the 100-yard butterfly. At the NCAA finals in March 2015, she broke the 13-year-old record held by Natalie Coughlin, and became the first woman to break 50 seconds in the event.[11] In March 2016, she improved her record to 49.43 s.[12]

At the Duel in the Pool meeting in December 2015, Worrell broke the world record in the 4×100 meter medley relay (short course) together with her teammates Courtney Bartholomew, Katie Meili, and Simone Manuel.[13]

2016 Summer Olympics

At the US Olympic Swimming Trials, Worrell placed first in the 100-meter butterfly and qualified for the US Olympic team.

In Rio de Janeiro, Worrell placed 4th in the heats of the 100-meter butterfly but failed to qualify for the finals after finishing 9th in the semi-finals. She won a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay for swimming in the prelims.

2018 World Swimming Championships

At the 2018 World Swimming Championships in December in Hangzhou, China, Dahlia won a record nine medals at a FINA Championships meet, narrowly taking a lead in the gold medal count with seven medals over Caeleb Dressel who also won nine medals only with one less gold medal.[5][6]

International Swimming League

In 2019 she was a member of the inaugural International Swimming League representing the Cali Condors, who finished third place in the final match in Las Vegas, Nevada in December. Dahlia won the 100-meter butterfly at the final beating world record holder Sarah Sjöström for the second time of the season.[14]

2019 World Championships

Dahlia won one gold and two silver medals competing for Team USA at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships. She swam the butterfly leg of the 4×100 meter medley final in which USA won gold with a world-record time of 3:50.40.[15] She won silver for a preliminary heat in the 4×100 meter mixed medley and a silver in the 4×100 meter freestyle final, setting an American record with a time of 3:31.02.[16]

Retirement From Swimming

In 2022 Dahlia announced her official retirement from the sport and now works an associate coach for the University of Notre Dame swimming and diving team posting a thank you message on Instagram for all that swimming has contributed to her as a person both in an out of the pool.

Awards and honors

Personal life

In 2017, Dahlia married her husband, Tom. She has 5 siblings: Jarrod, Kyle, Lindi, Taylor and Skylar who were and are also swimmers have all swam for Tarnsfield Swim Club. Her brother Kyle also swam for Louisville as well as qualified and competed in the 2021 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

References

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