Simone Manuel made history in the pool on Thursday night, as she became the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold in an individual swimming event.
Advertisement
“I just met Penny today, but she’s awesome”, Manuel said. I want to be an inspiration, but I would like there to be a day when it is not ‘Simone the black swimmer’.
“This is incredible, to tie for a gold – I never thought I’d win a gold”, she said.
American Simone Manuel and Canada’s Penny Oleksiak claimed joint gold in a remarkable finish to the women’s 100m freestyle final at the 2016 Olympics.
There was disappointment for the Campbell sisters, with world champion Bronte finishing fourth and world record holder Cate leading in world record time at the turn, but fading at the finish to sixth. Sarah Sjostrom from Sweden finished third in 52.99.
It is also the swim team’s fifth medal, including Oleksiak’s haul of silver in the 100 fly, two bronze medals from the 4×100 and 4×200 freestyle relays, plus Windsor, Ont.’s Kylie Masse tying for bronze in the 100 back.
“I definitely want to go out there and swim fast for team U.S.”, she said. “Having everybody swim fast makes me want to swim fast, so it’s really great to be on such an unbelievable team”. “I guess it just wasn’t that good”.
A string of fatal shootings of black men and women by white police officers has triggered protests, some violent, across the United States in recent weeks.
“Coming into my first Olympics I didn’t think I was going to be getting a gold medal individually”.
It’s a big day for West Kelowna native Kierra Smith, who will be competing in her first Olympic final in the 200-metre breaststroke. It is Canada’s first gold medal of the Rio Olympics, out of seven overall.
Phelps’s performance came on the latest remarkable night for the USA swim team, which is out-performing most countries in Rio. “I mean, the 100 free was pretty close”, said Manuel.
Zupancic, a three-time Pan Am judo gold medallist, had Graf on the mat late in the contest to secure a point, but couldn’t hold her there long enough to earn the maximum 10 points that would’ve tied the score. “Every chance I get on those blocks and he’s right there, it’s incredible”, Lochte said of Phelps, who was in the adjacent lane. McKeown posted the fasted time of the eight qualifiers in the semifinal heats, which gives her lane four as a result. “I didn’t count how many”. She said to ask her again in a few weeks.
Korotyshkin says he was unhurt and “exchanged what I had in my pockets for a gripping story for posterity”. I’m very happy for how she’s done.
Advertisement
Franklin, swimming just before Phelps, was merely in the semifinal of the 200 backstroke, an event she won four years ago in London.
