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Simone Manuel earned an individual race at the Olympics on the final night of the U.S. swimming trials, winning the 50-meter freestyle Sunday night.
Coming back from overtraining syndrome, which hampered her preparations leading up to the Tokyo Games, Manuel won the frantic dash from one end of the pool to the other in 24.13 seconds.
She looked a bit surprised when she saw the “1” beside her name on the scoreboard, pumping her fist emphatically. She kept shaking her head as she walked across the deck.
“I wasn’t feeling real confident after last night,” said Manuel, who was only the fourth-fastest qualifier in the semifinals, nearly a half-second behind Gretchen Walsh. “I spent a lot of time watching races where I won. I wanted to channel that Simone because I know I’m a winner.”
Speaking of winners, Bobby Finke will head to the Olympics looking to defend his titles in the two longest freestyle events.
He won the final event of the trials, blowing away the field in the 1,500-meter freestyle with a time of 14 minutes, 40.28 seconds. He already had qualified in the 800 free, the other event he won in Tokyo.
The real race was for the final spot on the Olympic team between David Johnston and 18-year-old Luke Whitlock of Noblesville, who put on a duel for second place. They were neck and neck nearly the entire race, before Johnston started to pull away with six laps remaining.
Whitlock nearly caught him with a stunning final sprint, but Johnston barely held on to clinch his first trip to the Olympics in 14:52.74. Whitlock touched right behind him at 14:53.00.
Whitlock, who swam for the Fishers Area Swimming Tigers club, will still be going to Paris, having earned a spot in the 800 freestyle.
“This meet didn’t go the way I planned,” said Johnston, who missed out in his other events with a third-place finish in the 400 free and fourth-place showing in the 800 free. “I just had to keep believing in myself. It took everything I had to get to that wall. My legs at 300 meters were completely gone. I’m glad I kind of saved my meet.”
Manuel had already clinched a spot at her third Olympics on the 4×100 freestyle relay, but now she’s got an event all to herself. Walsh claimed the second spot in Paris at 24.15, beating out Abbey Weitzeil (24.26) and Torri Huske (24.33).
Manuel will try to add to an already impressive resume, highlighted by becoming the first Black female swimmer to win an individual gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
She was a huge star at those Olympics, winning two golds and two silvers overall.
But Manuel’s time began to slip ahead of the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games. After she stunningly failed to qualify in the 100 freestyle, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with overtraining syndrome.
Manuel bounced back to earn a spot in the 50 freestyle, but she didn’t qualify for the final at the Olympics. Her only medal was a bronze anchoring the 4×100 free relay.
After the games, Manuel was ordered by her doctor to shut down all physical activity until her body healed. She finally returned to the pool in early 2023, but didn’t event attempt to qualify for the world championships that summer.
But a move to Arizona, where she trained under Michael Phelps’ longtime coach Bob Bowman began to pay dividends.
Now, she’s got another Olympic race to show for it.
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