Simone Manuel triumphs in the 50m freestyle race at the US Olympic swimming trials, marking her comeback from Overtraining Syndrome.
Swimming sensation Manuel, a five-time Olympic medalist, clocked an impressive 24.13 seconds at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium, knocking off nearly half a second from her qualifying time. Already securing a spot this year at the Paris Olympics as part of a relay team, this victory means she'll also compete individually in her third Games.
The path to this achievement hasn't been a walk in the park for the 27-year-old Texan. She faced difficulties with overtraining syndrome prior to the Tokyo Olympics, a condition that causes physical and emotional decline due to excessive training.
Manuel admitted to experiencing an elevated heart rate, insomnia, depression, and anxiety, all while her performance began to slip. She shared with reporters that returning to the pool amidst daily defeats was a challenging process. "It was tough getting back into the pool… I was getting my butt kicked daily, missing workout intervals, and had to modify things until I built up enough strength to complete a full week of training. In essence, I started from scratch," she explained.
Manuel made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first Black woman to win a gold medal in an individual swimming event (joint victory in the 100m freestyle), and also bagging a silver in the 50m freestyle. However, her battle with overtraining syndrome affected her preparations for the Tokyo Games, resulting in just a bronze from the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Post-competition, she took an extended break from training, which she described as probably the most boring months of her life. She resumed training at the start of last year.
"Reflecting on how far I've come and the hurdle I had to overcome, it's crucial for me to look back and feel proud of myself for persisting through this struggle and maintaining faith in myself," Manuel said after securing a spot in the 4x100m freestyle relay team for the Paris Olympics.
In Sunday's other event at the trials, champions Bobby Finke won the men's 1,500m freestyle in a time of 14:40.28, finishing a impressive 12 seconds ahead of David Johnston. The latter narrowly beat Luke Whitlock for a spot in the event at the Games.
The Paris Olympics are set to commence on July 26, with swimming events commencing the following day.
