African American Simone Manuel broke Australia's Cate Campbell world record holder to astonishingly win an Olympic gold medal in a single swimming event at Rio 2016. She became the very first African American female to receive an Olympic gold medal in swimming event.
"This medal is not just for me. It's for some of the African Americans who have come before me and been an inspiration," she told reporters. "It means a lot to me. I hope I can be an inspiration to others"
Manuel shared to the press that she hadn't expected at all to win a gold medal. "Coming into my first Olympics I didn't think I was going to be getting a gold medal individually. My goal was just to get more experience, swim as fast as I can," she said.
She also added that just getting an American record on top of a gold medal is super exciting for her.
Manuel shared the first place with Penny Oleksiak of Canada in 100m freestyle final with a record time of 52.70 sec. Even before the 2016 Olympic, Manuel had already enjoyed great success in her sport.
Asked how she felt to share an Olympic gold medal, Manuel replied honestly, "I wouldn't say it's weird. I mean, the 100 free was pretty close. Just in terms of sharing that with Penny, she's an awesome girl."
The Olympic gold medals Manuel and Oleksiak were even more notable as they win against Australia's Cate Campbell world record. Campbell placed fourth after taking the lead in the middle point; Bronte, her sister, bagged the sixth place.
Manuel's victory will be a lifetime inspiration to the African kids, who are said to be among the less-fortunate ones in the world. Who says that poverty is a hindrance to being successful? It doesn't matter where you come from or what your family background is. It is about hardwork and being wise at grabbing opportunities.
