The first African American woman to win an individual Olympic swimming gold medal — Manuel's 100m freestyle gold at Rio 2016 was a landmark moment in American sport, followed by further success in Tokyo and multiple world titles.
The first African American woman to win an individual Olympic swimming gold medal — Manuel's 100m freestyle gold at Rio 2016 was a landmark moment in American sport, followed by further success in Tokyo and multiple world titles. Swimming rewards marginal gains won through years of technical refinement and obsessive attention to conditioning and race preparation. Career highlights included Olympic Gold 2016 (100m freestyle) — first African American woman, Olympic Gold 2020 (relay), World Champion multiple times. In swimming, technical refinement and competitive experience at the highest level are the hallmarks of sustained success — qualities Simone demonstrated consistently throughout her career. Few athletes in swimming combined consistency and peak performance as effectively across the full span of a long and distinguished career. The standard Simone Manuel set across her career in swimming reflects the level of preparation and competitive focus that consistently separates elite performers from the rest of the field.
First African American woman to win Olympic gold in swimming
How They Played
Sprint freestyle specialist with explosive starts and powerful strokes
Lasting Impact
Broke barriers in swimming, inspiring diversity in aquatic sports
Olympic Gold 2016 (100m freestyle) — first African American woman
Career Honours
- Olympic Gold 2016 (100m freestyle) — first African American woman
- Olympic Gold 2020 (relay)
- World Champion multiple times