On top of the world
In or out of the pool, Simone Manuel keeps adding to her impressive résumé
As Simone Manuel continues her singular route through the sport of swimming, she learned new lessons about the value of focus when she was exiled to lane one for the finals of the women’s 100-meter freestyle at the recent FINA world championships in Gwangju, South Korea. • Manuel, 23, who grew up in Fort Bend County and now trains in Palo Alto, Calif., drew the least desirable lane because of her semifinal time and said she was nervous about her chances as she conferred before the race with coach Greg Meehan.
“He told me that this is good, because you will focus only on your race,” Manuel said. “I feel like I always go into a race knowing what I need to do, but when he told me that – just to go for it and see what happens – it was cool.”
In the outside lane, Manuel was unable to keep track of Cate Campbell of Australia and Sarah Sjoestrem of Sweden, the world record-holder, in the middle of the pool. She was alone with her race and, at the wall, alone at the finish, winning in an American record time of 52.04 seconds.
She followed her win in the 100 free, defending her 2017 world title, by winning the 50 free to become the first U.S. woman to sweep the events at the world championships. With two golds and three silvers in relays, her seven medals were the most ever won by a woman at the event.
“I was pretty pleased with my performance at worlds,” she said. “I definitely had high expectations. I didn’t reach all the goals, time-wise, but I’m looking to continue to improve off that momentum.”
With the world championships done, Manuel made a rare trip to the Houston area to visit her family this weekend before returning to training at Stanford University. She said she will next race in November as the calendar turns towards preparation for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Manuel’s performance in South Korea, which gives her 16 world medals, including 11 golds, to go with two golds and two silvers at the 2016 Olympics, was the capper to a unique year that included her decision in July 2018 to turn pro and graduation from Stanford last March.
Her contract with TYR, the swimming and triathlon apparel brand, included what was described as an “inclusion rider” to support diversity in her projects for the company.
“Equality, diversity and inclusion are important to me,” she said. “Especially in the sport of swimming, I want to provide meaningful opportunities for under-represented communities.
“For example, when I go to a photo shoot with TYR, I ask for a black person to do my hair and makeup because in the beauty industry, they are not often given those opportunities. I want to open up a space where they feel welcomed. They’re qualified, so why not give them an opportunity?
“And I want the world to know that minorities can swim, and some of that starts with social media, putting up more images of black swimmers or other athletes on an Instagram page or a Twitter page, showing people that swimming is a welcome space.”
Manuel also has endorsement deals with Toyota, Coca-Cola and Nike and said she “continue to push for impact” through her deal with TYR.
She also works with schools and with USA Swimming’s foundation to encourage swimming lessons among African-Americans, building on what three-time gold medalist and NBC Sports analyst Rowdy Gaines described in 2016 as a transformative impact arising from her gold medals in Rio.
“I don’t say that I am the sole contributor, but the drowning rate among African-Americans has gone down, and I have seen more in learn to swim classes,” she said. “It is super cool that my win inspired people to challenge stereotypes and barriers.”
Gaines said Manuel continues to contribute through her involvement with educational programs but also by her continued performances in the pool.
“To me, there are only three names that have come to transcend the sport, and those are Michael (Phelps), Katie (Ledecky) and Simone,” he said. “I walk into a room with her, and it’s mind-boggling to see the impact she has. it brings me such joy to see that.”
As for her swimming, Gaines said Manuel “is doing things that boggle the mind,” excelling at the Olympics and world championships even though she frequently comes in considered the underdog to Campbell and Sjoestrem.
Manuel said she struggled to balance her decision to turn pro with her final two quarters at Stanford and was pleased to be able to focus on training after earning a degree in communications.
She trains 20 hours a week, with nine practices and three weight training sessions, while dealing with sponsor commitments and appearances on behalf of the USA Swimming Foundation with LeBron James’ I Promise School in Akron, Ohio.
“There have been years when I haven’t improved time-wise, but every year I improve, because the hard work I do in practice goes in the bank. It doesn’t go away,” she said. “There’s not always a linear progression, but I always feel I’m improving. The hard work pays off eventually.
“I continue to learn more about myself in the sport. I used to focus on times, and as you get older it’s not easier to drop time. So I have to focus on how I approach a race and mental health and nutrition. It’s about times, but it’s also about focusing on details.”
The mental health aspect includes occasional quality time with her family in Sugar Land, with trips to Shipley’s Do-Nuts and Grimaldi’s pizza, before returning to Stanford for the run-up toward Tokyo,
She will swim in the TYR Pro Swim Series, which begins in November in Greensboro, N.C., and hopes to compete in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle in USA Swimming’s Olympic Trials next June in Omaha.
“I try not to think too far ahead and focus on the goals I have for the year — to perform well at trials and make the team and perform well at the Olympics,” she said.
“But a long-term goal is to swim until 2028. I would like my last Olympics to be in Los Angeles and to end my swimming and Olympic and professional career there.”
It’s a race with time and against time for a woman who continues to draw admiration for her competitive spirit and ability to rise to the occasion.
“I know what I’m capable of. I want to win,” she said. “I think that is what defines a racer. You have to have mental toughness, because everyone lined up against you is capable of winning and swimming fast. It’s a mindset of being confident and knowing you can compete.
“That’s something you have to learn. When I went to my first competition, it was, ‘Oh, do I deserve to be here?’ It’s a constant mindset of every time I step up on the blocks, I know I have a chance to win.”