Simone Manuel

Simone Ashley Manuel is an American competition swimmer who specializes in sprint freestyle. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she won two gold and two silver medals: gold in the 100-meter freestyle and the 4x100-meter medley and silver in the 50-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. In winning the 100-meter freestyle, a tie with Penny Oleksiak of Canada, Manuel became the first Black American woman to win an individual Olympic gold in swimming, setting an Olympic record and an American record.

Manuel holds three world records as a member of a relay team, and she is a six-time individual NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships champion. As a Stanford University athlete, she contributed significantly to Stanford's NCAA team championship wins in women's swimming and diving in 2017 and 2018. She has also showcased commendable performance at the Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships and the World Aquatics Championships, securing multiple medals and setting records.

In July 2018, Manuel announced her decision to turn pro, ending her collegiate career after that year’s NCAA Championships. The same year, she signed a sponsorship deal with TYR Sport, Inc., incorporating an inclusion rider in her contract, the first-ever agreement of its kind in professional sports. Manuel also serves as an ambassador for the Make A Splash organization, promoting inclusivity in swimming.

At the 2019 World Championships in South Korea, Manuel bagged seven medals, setting a record for a female's most medals won at a single world championships. She became the first female American swimmer to win both the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter freestyle events at a single FINA long course World Aquatics Championships meet. Her accomplishments at these championships include gold in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, gold in the mixed 4x100-meter medley relay, gold in the 100-meter freestyle, gold in the mixed 4x100-meter freestyle relay, and bronze in the 50-meter freestyle. Further enhancing her illustrious career, Manuel was ranked number 5 among the top 100 female swimmers by SwimSwam in 2021.

In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Manuel competed in the 4x100m freestyle relay and won a bronze medal. Despite not qualifying for the 100-meter freestyle final at the 2020 USA Swimming Olympic Trials, she ranked first in the 50-meter freestyle final and secured a spot on the US Olympic swim team for that event. In 2024, Manuel earned two silver medals at the Paris Olympics in the Women's 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays.

Recognized for her exceptional performance, Manuel has received several awards and honors, including being named in Forbes' 30 Under 30 in sports list in 2022 and winning the Honda Sports Award for Swimming & Diving in 2017-2018. She also won the Golden Goggle Award for Female Athlete of the Year in 2019 and the SwimSwam Swammy Award for US Swimmer of the Year (female) in 2019. Manuel's impact extends beyond her sport as she is an active advocate for diversity in swimming and provides swimming lessons to kids. She has worked in partnership with LeBron James' I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, to establish a 4-week summer swim program for students and has also achieved career-best times in various swimming events, including the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 200m freestyle.