The Olympic swimmer specializing in freestyle events, Leah Smith, is what she is today, because of her coaches Mitch Dalton and Carol Capitani. For the unversed, Smith was a part of the US Women’s Olympic Swimming team in 2016. She claimed gold for the 4*200m relay and a bronze for the 400m freestyle. Both Carol and Mitch have played a crucial role in providing wings to Smith’s career. With the 2024 Paris Olympics commencing in days, Smith aims to go one step further. 

Similarly, Smith has maintained her athletic needs thanks to the balanced approach taken by Dalton and Capitani. Both coaches have unique skills and abilities to impart swimming techniques to athletes. While coach Dalton possesses innovative training techniques, Capitani creates a positive team environment. This adds to her mental strength as well. 

Meet Leah Smith’s coaches, Carol Capitani and Mitch Dalton

The women’s diving and swimming team of the University of Texas is blessed to have Carol Capitani as the head coach. Her impressive career is a collage of numerous accolades and achievements. Carol has been an integral part of the coaching staff of Texas since 2012. Under her able guidance, the Longhorns have been performing consistently. The best part of Carol’s coaching is the holistic development of all athletes. The best amalgamation of development, both on and off the pool, is the major highlight of Carol’s coaching. 

Now, let’s talk about Mitch Dalton. In May 2020, Dalton joined the Texas women’s team as an assistant coach. Dalton is now the guiding light for the Longhorns. Before he joined the Longhorns, Dalton had a stint with the USA swimming for five years. He served as the director of the National Junior Team. His numerous achievements highlight Dalton’s complete dedication to the sport. 

The glorious coaching careers of Mitch Dalton and Carol Capitani

Carol Capitani finished her 12th season in 2024, as the head coach of the Longhorns. Under her guidance, the team became the national runner-up at the NCAA Championships. Carol has always led Longhorns to top-10 finishes, during all her 12 seasons. She has trained many top performers on the national and international stage. In 2023, under her guidance, US men’s and women’s teams came together for the World Aquatics Championships and won 38 medals. Before joining the Longhorns, Carol became an assistant coach at the University of Georgia for 14 years. There she helped the team in claiming four NCAA Championships. 

Now, let us talk more about Mitch Dalton. He started his coaching career at the club level. Dalton got to gain a deep knowledge of competitive swimming. What makes him stand out?

Well, he can connect to the athletes and tailor all the training programs to cater to their requirements. The reason we get to witness superb performances by champions like Leah Smith. During her involvement with USA Swimming, Dalton has also served as a coach for many more national teams. 

Together, Mitch Dalton, Carol Capitani, and Leah Smith exemplify how able coaching can have a long-lasting impact on an athlete’s career. A rare combination of Dalton’s innovative coaching and Carol’s nurturing style really helps athletes like Smith to achieve success on the world stage.