Time Christian Olympian wins gold and sets new Olympic record

Not only did she win a gold medal and set a new record, she also made history by being the first African-American Olympian to top in an individual swimming event. Manuel previously won a silver medal in Rio, her first Olympics, as part of the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

Pernille Blume, of Denmark, took gold in the event and Belarus’ Aliaksandra Herasimenia nabbed the bronze.

Team USA swimmer and Olympic gold and silver medalist Simone Manuel is expected to return to Houston after an impressive showing at the 2016 games in Rio.

Fanfare greeted Sugar Land native and gold-medal swimmer Simone Manuel when she arrived home in Houston on Wednesday morning.

“This medal is not just for me”. It’s for a whole bunch of people that came before me and have been an inspiration to me. “My goal was just to get more experience, swim as fast as I can”, she said.

On the podium after her first win, Manuel let tears run freely down her face as she finally fully embraced the historic impact of her victory.

We’re a long way away from sports being colorblind, but Manuel’s four medals, two gold and two silver, are a huge step forward in that direction.

She was welcomed by her family, friends, city leaders, and fans. In other words, she stands to use her medal to motivate lots of young African- Americans.

After the race, pastor Ralph Douglas West tweeted, “It makes me proud to see Simone give God the glory in this monumental moment in her life”. In a CNN interview, she discussed her reasons for attending Stanford. She also competed in the women’s 4×400-meter medley relay team, winning gold.

The Olympic gold medals Manuel and Oleksiak were even more notable as they win against Australia’s Cate Campbell world record. I am so blessed and grateful.