Manuel’s night isn’t over just yet, as she’s competing in the 4×100 medley relay with Dana Vollmer, Lilly King and Kathleen Baker.
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In an exclusive interview, the maiden women’s gold medalist said “This medal is not just for me”.
Here is a sobering fact: According to a 2010 study by the University of Memphis that was commissioned by USA Swimming, 68.9 percent of African-American children possessed “no or low swim ability”. The three had identical times and all received silver medals.
Sharron Manuel knew these stats when she and her husband Marc made a decision to have all their kids take swim lessons. Her win puts Blacks on a higher pedestal of achievers.
Manuel’s American teammate Abbey Weitzeil failed to advance to finals after posting the fifth-slowest time in semifinals (24.67). And scores of African-American parents posted pictures of their young daughters proudly watching Simone catop the victory podium, tears cascading down her face.
That record broke her own previous record of 24.23, set in the preliminaries.
“I went in there and swam as fast as I could”.
Manuel, who is a rising junior on The Farm, set an Olympic and American record to tie for the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at Rio Games.
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“I want more”, she said. But it exploded again moments later – Phelps, at 31 the most decorated Olympian of all time, had just stopped packing his gear, stood, and turned to the stands, raising his arms and acknowledging the fans. And she always will be.
