Until now, Cullen Jones had been the face of swimming for minorities in America, having won two golds and two silvers at the previous two Olympics. Ironically, both are named Simone. The Sugar Land, Texas, native stopped the clock at 52.70 – simultaneously with Canada’s Penny Oleksiak.
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Oleksiak and Manuel’s victory was the second time the women’s 100m freestyle has ended with a double gold. When asked about the other Simone, Manuel practically gushed. It will be very hard, but I’ll be right next to it, “said the swimmer 25 years”.
“I’m only 16, so it’s pretty insane to win a gold medal in your first Olympics”. I met her a year ago, we’ve hung out a couple times. “It was a feeling that even I didn’t understand, but I’m that happy that I could win this for the team regardless of my time”. “Both of us were able to be true to ourselves and race together”.
Simone Manuel, 20, has made history for the US, setting a new Olympic record in the 100-m freestyle and becoming the first black woman to win an individual swimming gold.
United States’ Simone Manuel, right, looks at the scoreboard with Australia’s Bronte Campbell and wins the gold medal setting a new olympic record in the women’s 100-meter freestyle during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom took the bronze in 52.99.
“I think it means a lot, especially what’s going on in the world today with some of the issues with police brutality”.
Unable to hold back the tears, she added: “Coming into this race tonight I tried to take the weight of the black community off my shoulders, which is something I carry with me”. “I hope I’m an inspiration”.
“I’ve always said that I didn’t need a gold medal to have self-worth and I guess that that’s being put to the test at the moment”, Cate said.
Missy Franklin, her USA teammate, called Simone a “fearless swimmer”.
“It challenges me academically and athletically, and socially I get to be around such different people, though we also have something in common by being here”, Manuel told USA Swimming about attending Stanford.
In an emotional press interview following the race, Manuel praised God for her victory.
Bronte faded to fourth, and Cate dropped all the way to sixth at the finish. Simone touched the wall ahead of them with her patriotically painted fingernails, at precisely the same moment Oleksiak reached it.
And her supporters have been active on Twitter, congratulating Manuel on her groundbreaking talent, including her Rio roommate and fellow gold medal victor Katie Ledecky. Manuel and Weitzeil both earned silver medals as part of the 4x100m freestyle on Sunday.
“There was a time when I wished I had quit after London”, said the 26-year-old.
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After receiving his medal, the young swimmer is quickly mounted in the stands to greet his family and show them its golden reward.
