Kelsi Dahlia 2023-24 Swimming and Diving Staff
Associate Coach
On June 2, 2022, Chris Lindauer named Kelsi Dahlia an associate coach for the Irish.
Dahlia had one of the best collegiate careers in program history at Louisville under Lindauer and Irish associate head coach Kameron Chastain and also excelled on the international stage.
During her collegiate career as a Cardinal, Dahlia was a four-time national champion and finished on the podium in 10 different times at NCAA’s. At the 2015 National Championship, she set the American Record in the 100 Butterfly, breaking the 13-year old record held by Natalie Coughlin. Dahlia still holds the American Record to this day and she was the first woman to break 50 seconds in the event. She also holds the World Record in the 4×100 meter medley relay (short course) that she initially set at Duel in the Pool in 2015.
Dahlia’s first NCAA title came during her junior season in 2015 when she won the 100 and 200 butterfly. At the U.S. Nationals in 2015, she won two titles and finished on the podium three times. Just like at NCAA’s, she finished first in the 100 butterfly and was also on the winning 4×100 freestyle relay team while finishing in third in the 50 freestyle. Dahlia also won gold in the 100 butterfly and 4×100 medley relay at the 2015 Pan American Games.
In her final season with the Cardinals, Dahlia achieved the double in both the 100 and 200 butterfly at the NCAA Championships. She won both events and broke her own American record in the 100 butterfly and broke the championship record in the 200 butterfly. In the summer of 2016, Dahlia qualified for the Rio Olympic Games and was part of the 4×100 medley relay team that took home gold.
On the professional circuit, she has won gold at U.S. Nationals five different times (2 in 2017 and 2018, 1 in 2019). She has also won gold at Short Course Worlds 11 different times between the 2016 and 2018 competitions. She continued to break records in her professional career including the American record in the 100 (SCM) butterfly (54.84) at the 2018 World Cup in Budapest. She also improved the World Record in 4×100 meter medley relay (3:50.40) at the 2019 FINA World Championships in Korea.
Kelsi and her husband, Thomas, have one daughter, Zia.