Simone Manuel will leave Rio with four Olympic medals, but none will be sweeter than her gold in the 100m freestyle, which made her the first African-American woman to win an individual gold medal in swimming.
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The relay of Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Dana Vollmer and Simone Manuel won America’s first gold of the night in the final night of swimming competition here to reach the milestone. “And that’s not true because I work just as hard as anybody else, and I love the sport, and I want to win just like everybody else!”
When Manuel was asked about what it was like coming up in a sport that is dominated by white athletes, she told reporters it is something she has been conscious of as she’s risen through the ranks of the swimming world.
Manuel said she hopes to encourage the African American community to “get into the water”. Two nights later, Manuel added another medal to her haul, winning a silver in the women’s 50 free.
“I haven’t gotten best times in a while in long course”, she said, differentiating from the distance she swims at college in Stanford.
“I never thought that I’d be here today”, said Matsimell Miller, another YMCA lifeguard. “My goal was just to get more experience, swim as fast as I can”, she said.
Manuel said the medal was not just for her, but for those who have come before her and inspired her. This and many others have been the bad path for African-Americans when it comes to swimming.
The Olympic gold medals Manuel and Oleksiak were even more notable as they win against Australia’s Cate Campbell world record.
“A medal, a medal, I’ll take it”, said Dion Willis, as he stood near the beach at the annual YWCA Picnic, which had an Olympic theme complete with balloons and suggested attire.
That includes a Lifeguard Training team in communities of color and scholarships for people who can not afford programs according to Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter.
You’ll also note that the person alongside Manuel in the original photo is not Michael Phelps, but Canada’s Penny Oleksiak, who tied Manuel for the win.
While the teams’ lineups won’t be released until an hour before start time, we haven’t heard a peep about Phelps possibly not racing.
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Kennedy said nationally, 70 percent of African American children don’t learn how to swim, but he expects that will change after Rio. Tears rolled down each of Manuel’s cheeks as she sang along.
