Melanie Margalis raced Thursday at the AT&T Winter National Championships for the first time since the Olympic Games in Rio, where she finished fourth in the 200 IM and then helped the U.S. win gold in the women’s 800 free relay after swimming on the prelims of that squad. Thursday night in Atlanta, Margalis dominated the 200-yard IM, leading from start to finish and posting a winning time of 1:53.16.
After the race, Margalis spoke about what it felt like to return to racing and why she actually felt nervous before getting in the pool, even though the race did not figure to be competitive. She also explained what drew her back to swimming so quickly post-Olympics, including one specific practice with fellow Olympian and Georgia Bulldog Hali Flickinger, and what her future in the sport might hold.