In all, Stanford swimmers accumulated a program-record 14 medals at the Rio Olympic Games.
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Although many people are saying that Manuel is the first black woman to medal in an individual Olympic swimming event that honors goes to Enith Brigitha.
Denmark’s Pernille Blume won the gold medal in the women’s 50m freestyle at the Rio Olympics today, getting her hand on the wall first in a blanket finish.
The last swimmer in the water for Team USA on the 4×100 medley relay, Manuel’s final swim of these Games was more like a victory lap as Kathleen Baker (backstroke, 59.00) Lilly King (breaststroke, 1:05.70), Dana Vollmer (butterfly, 56.00) built almost a one-second lead, one Manuel did not relinquish.
The 4×100 medley relay was the final event on the women’s side.
Australia earned silver, while Denmark took bronze. She became the first African-American woman to win an Olympic swimming title with her win in the 100 free. The victory also marked the 1,000th gold medal in U.S. Olympic history.
The U.S. also won 33 medals at Sydney in 2000.
After posting the top time in both the preliminaries and the semifinals, Blume came through again on the final night of swimming at the Rio Games.
Manuel, the American co-gold medalist in the 100 free, settled for silver in 24.09. Manuel was second at 24.09, followed by Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus at 24.11.
Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands, the gold medal victor in London four years ago, came sixth, one place ahead of the reigning world champion, Australia’s Bronte Campbell. Still, he won comfortably in 14:34.57.
Connor Jaeger of the United States took the silver in 14:39.48, while the bronze went to another Italian, Gabriele Detti, in 14:40.86.
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Wilimovksy will get another shot at a medal in an even more demanding event – the 10-kilometer open water race at Fort Copacabana on Tuesday.
