Aly Raisman’s parents became internet sensations during the Rio Olympics when their tense reactions to their 22-year-old daughter’s performance went viral.
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Breaking records and barriers, Simone Manuel made history at the Rio Olympics on Thursday, August 11, as the first black woman from the U.S.to take home a gold medal in an individual swimming event. “It is for some of the African-Americans who have come before me”, she said. “I definitely worked hard these past four years, day in and day out”. “I mean, the gold medal wasn’t just for me. I have to attribute that to my coaches and my teammates who have pushed me to never give up”.
And Manuel hopes she can just be a swimmer and a champion without her race being a factor. Her mouth gaped open; her hand covered it up. I just have two Olympic gold medals now. “It’s for a whole bunch of people who came before me and have been an inspiration to me… it’s for all the people after me who believe they can’t do it, and I just want to be an inspiration to others that you can do it”. It marks only the second time that two USA gymnasts have won gold and silver in an Olympic all-around- coming after Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In tonight’s final, Campbell finished sixth.
After Simone Manuel’s history-making Olympic win Thursday, the star swimmer shared her tears and heartfelt words of inspiration with viewers across the world. Raisman won the silver medal, so they truly were competing for the pinnacle of recognition in their sport. Instead, Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom won a bronze medal after finishing 0.29 behind the winners.
Other networks, including the BBC, aired Manuel’s medal ceremony live.
In Chesterfield County, coaches at Swim RVA say they already see an impact and a new glimmer of hope in the eyes of their young athletes. And then the audience at Rio’s Aquatics Stadium heard two anthems: America’s first, followed by Canada’s.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Bronx, New York-bred swimmer Cullen Jones won silver medals in the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay and the 50-meter freestyle, as well as the gold in the 4 x 100-metre medley.
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“I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps”, she said.
