Simone Manuel became the first African American female swimmer to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming for the USA when she tied for first place in the 100m freestyle.
Advertisement
“I opened the door to the room, and she got up and gave me a hug and said, ‘I wasn’t going to fall asleep until I gave you a hug, ‘ and that really meant a lot to me”, said Manuel, who gave the us a gold medal in the event for the first time since 1984. My colour just comes with the territory.
The significance was not lost on many viewers, some of whom recalled racist Segregation-era policies that kept black Americans out of swimming pools.
After setting the Olympic record Thursday night, Manuel said she hopes to inspire little girls who want to swim, but are told it isn’t for them or they can’t do it.
Shortly after making history, Olympic gold medal victor Simone Manuel spoke to reporters about her historic win and also spoke out about race and police brutality. And I just want to be an inspiration to others that you can do it.
When Manuel and teammate Lia Neal were both selected for Rio, it was the first time two black female athletes were chosen to be on the American swim team at the same time.
“The gold medal wasn’t just for me”. She’s also swimming in the 50 free. “Probably about 1 percent of USA swimmers are black, so it gives you an incentive to go out there and show them that we can do it, too”, she said, according to Biography.
And she teared up during the National Anthem.
The 20-year-old upset world-record holder Cate Campbell of Australia and tied with Penny Oleksiak of Canada for first place. Sharron wanted them all to be able to hang out at the pool in the hot Houston summers without worrying about their safety.
“Miriam Lynch of Diversity in Aquatics, a nonprofit organization focused on curbing high numbers of drowning deaths among African-Americans, said Manuel’s victory could help reverse what she called a cultural fear of swimming in that group”.
She took swimming seriously after watching Michael Phelps win his historic eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
When Sugar Land’s Simone Manuel won Olympic gold, even she looked surprised.
Advertisement
“I see other blacks and African-Americans doing basketball, and running and doing volleyball, so I think the hardest part was coming to terms with, you know, this is what you love to do so you should do it”, she said. I hope that I’m an inspiration to others to get out there and try swimming. Sharron said her daughter has understood for some time that this sport will give her a platform to share a message with the world, and she’ll always support Manuel speaking her mind in a thoughtful way.
