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By David Rieder.
Four years ago, Simone Manuel qualified for her first World Championship team, finishing third in the 100 free and second in the 50 free at U.S. Nationals. Since then, she has represented the U.S. in the sprint events at every major international meet.
That all culminated last summer in Rio, when Manuel won Olympic gold in the 100 free and silver in the 50 free. She also took gold as part of the U.S. women’s 400 medley relay team and a silver in the 400 free relay.
But Manuel has never finished high enough in the 200 free to swim the 800 free relay internationally. In the Olympic Trials final of the 200, Manuel was in the lead at the halfway point and tied for second at the 150 before she fell apart down the stretch.
Her 31.96 final 50 was the slowest in the field by more than a second, and she ended up seventh, two tenths away from an Olympic relay berth.
Still, Manuel insists that she has what it takes to swim the 200 free long course.
“Personally, I think I am a good 200 freestyler, and I’m trying to figure out how to swim it,” Manuel said. “It was kind of a bummer last year, but after not making it, I kind of justified why I shouldn’t have made it. I really am working on trying to become a better 200 freestyler, because I think it helps my 100 free.”
Manuel had not yet qualified for the Olympic team at that point—the 100 free and 50 free both came up later in the program—so how did she justify not making the team in the 200?
“If I would have made the team, would that have made me had less pressure on making the team in the 100 free? I don’t think it would have. And going into the Olympic Games, I think the 800 free is the same day of the 100 free semi-finals,” she pointed out. “It was just kind of a coping mechanism for me.”
This time around, Manuel explained that she’s done more training specifically geared towards the 200 free, with her sights set on swimming that 800 free relay at Worlds. By the time the 200 free comes around on day two in the U.S. Nationals program, she figures to have already made the team in the 100 free, in which she will be heavily favored on day one.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Since the night she captured her first individual Olympic gold, Manuel has swum with poise and confidence, and it has paid off. She capped off her NCAA campaign by smashing the American record in the 100-yard free (45.56), and she’s been consistently quick throughout the long course season.
That confidence makes Manuel a threat in the sprint events at any meet she swims and perhaps even in the 200 free, where a relay berth looks well within her reach this week.
“I think just that comes from the work that I put in every day at practice and just believing that I can achieve the goals that I have for myself,” she said. “I have a great support system, and going up to the blocks and having your teammates really believe in you and your coaches believe in you and your parents and family and friends is something that makes racing fun.”
Watch a full replay of Manuel’s pre-meet press conference at U.S. Nationals:
Watch more pre-meet press conference videos by clicking here.
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she does NOT only inspire black swimmers. She inspires all swimmers, black, white, hispanic, purple for all we know. She also should inspire not only girls but boys as well. She is an example for any athlete, she has worked hard to balance her sport and school. Come one people, she is at Standford!
1st it’s Stanford…..lol..and yes she does inspire everyone….but she fades like no one else in the 200m freestyle LC….just saying if she makes the TEAM she better focus on her 100m because she is NOT the favorite to win during the WORLDS…a little Swede is in the drivers seat…just saying
Hard work YES! CG ????