Credits to the owner
INDIANAPOLIS — Sugar Land’s Simone Manuel stunned the field with a win in the 50-meter freestyle on Sunday at the U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis. The 27-year-old swimmer will represent the United States in Paris, competing in both the 50-meter freestyle and the 4×100 relay.
Manuel, renowned for her strong finishes in the 100-meter freestyle, clinched victory in the 50-meter event with a time of 24.13 seconds, narrowly beating Gretchen Walsh, who finished at 24.15 seconds.
“I put a lot of work to get to this point,” said Manuel, reflecting on her journey after stepping away from competitive swimming following the 2021 Olympics due to overtraining syndrome. She made a triumphant return to the sport last fall, proving she remains one of the top swimmers globally.
At the trials, Manuel finished seventh in the 200-meter freestyle, just missing a spot on the relay team, and secured fourth place in the 100-meter freestyle, earning a place on the relay team. Entering the final of the 50-meter freestyle, Manuel had the fourth-best time in Saturday’s semifinals.
“I wasn’t feeling too confident last night,” she admitted. “I watched a lot of races that I won last night. That’s the Simone I wanted to channel.”
Channeling her former self successfully, Manuel will now compete in two events at the Paris Olympics.
Manuel’s impressive career includes winning a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle at the Rio Olympics, along with gold medals in the 100-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, and a silver in the 4×100-meter medley relay. However, her performance in Tokyo saw her earning only a bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
“The last experience was tough for me,” Manuel said. “But I’m really looking forward to being part of this team.”
With her victory in Indianapolis, Manuel is set to make a significant impact at the upcoming Paris Olympics.