Katie Ledecky nearly owned the media conversation during the Pro Swim Santa Clara, signing with swimwear giant TYR. But what about Simone Manuel? Attention turned to the four-time Olympic medalist as she won 50m and 100m free (24.6 and 53.8), and she indicated she’s still in-talks on a swimwear partnership. Simone added it is important for her to sign with a brand that falls in line with her beliefs and mission beyond the pool. Simone’s mission includes inspiring kids, young women, and people who, as she put it, “look like me.” It also includes Make a Splash, USA Swimming Foundation’s learn to swim charity. Make a Splash (MAS) provides the lifesaving skill of learning how to swim to economically disadvantaged families. MAS currently provides over one million lessons per year through their MAS Local Partners across the United States.
Simone’s star power will burn brighter as she signs partnerships on the run-up to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials. As for this summer, I’m sticking by my predictions from the last Gold Medal Minute episode.
US Nationals / Pan Pac PREDICTIONS:
- 50m free – 23.79
- 100m free – 51.99
- 200m free – 1:56.1
I think that will be enough for Simone to sweep the 50-100m free at Pan Pacific Championships. What do you think?
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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
Could be cool to see her on that Us 800 free relay with a 1.56 split + Smith + Ledecky and Schmitty .
Disclaimer: “Past Performance Is No Guarantee of Future Results” – any mutual funds.
My stock was up about 5% in one day. Next day it added 1.5% more. “What are you waiting for, an id-ot” – told I to myself and bought much more. It’s easy to guess what’s happened next.
Any predictions about Simone Manuel’s time in 100 free have no merit. I don’t know anybody who predicted 52.7 in 2016 and I’m more than positive that nobody in the world expected 52.2 in 2017.
Her medal wins are even less predictable. For how long can we expect her to win against swimmers who’s personal bests before the race were more than 1 second (!!!!) faster?… Read more »
Times don’t matter at championships. Simone Manuel is an amazing racer. She just wants to touch the wall first when it matters the most. Then fast times will naturally come. But it’s secondary. In 30 years I will not remember her winning times but rather her gold medals, who she beat and how she won. And of course how she made history in Rio. I will remember her tears of joy with her coach and her teammates after the race. Nothing can replace that. Even a world record.
As a big fan of her I’m very happy to learn she wants to swim until Los Angeles 2028! 😎
https://www.usaswimming.org/news-landing-page/2018/06/21/simone-manuel-has-graduated-to-her-next-level-of-swimming-and-life
How old are you to plan that far in the future. “In 30 years I will not remember …”. Of course you won’t. Be thankful to remember your name at this age 😀
lol
Not for nothing, in the last couple months, Simone has gone 1:01.1/1:00.9 in back/fly in heavy training.
Sure she’s going to focus on the free, but she’s only 21, and has tons of talent to explore.
If she did back at nats BET she’d go 59
Does anyone with knowledge of these things know how much the commercials of pro swim deals vary?
Would you have a situation where 1 swimmer takes a much lower demand and risk contract for less money (eg. 10 appearances a year, fixed for 8 years, termination only if swimmer leaves USADA testing pool or brings brand into disrepute) whilst another takes much more risk and demand for higher reward (eg. 40 appearances a year, 2 year deal, termination if swimmer fails to win minimum [X] individuals gold medals at principal annual meet (Pan Pacs, Worlds or Olympics))? Or are they all pretty uniform and dictated by the brands?
She seems hungrier now post-Olympics. Wouldn’t be shocked to see her push a 51. Will be interesting to see where that lands against the Campbell sisters, though, and even Comerford.
Have you forgot about the world record holder Sarah Sjöström?
Sarah’s the WR holder but she and Simone won’t compete in the same pool this summer.
That’s probably to Sjostrom’s benefit given what tends to happens when the WR holder swims next to Simone…
She is the only American woman that has an Olympic gold medal and a World Championship gold medal in the 100m Free.
Ever? I’m going to fact check that stat now, but off the top of my head I can’t dispute it. That’s kind of incredible given how many gold medals the US wins overall.
Verified. American women just haven’t been great in this race since the World Championships started. Only 3 Olympic gold medals – Hogshead and Steinseifer in 1984 (tie) and Simone, and neither Hogshead nor Steinseifer ever even medaled in the 100 free at Worlds.
US took bronze medals in 3 straight Olympics 2000-2008 in the 100 free, Jenny Thompson silver in 1992, nothing in 2012.
US won 4 straight golds from 1920-1932, long before the FINA World Championships.
Jenny Thompson got shafted by the Chinese doping program. Maybe the best swimmer to never win individual Olympic gold.
i totally agree – she was absolutely fabulous in her prime ……one of my top favorite
All this talk of 51s. I’m not seeing it as she had two years of .5 second drops and I would expect she needs to hit a little plateau at some point before 2020. I’m gonna say 23.88 and 52.21. I’d like to hear some thoughts on Erika Brown
Why does she need to hit a plateau? She’s improved a lot this year already from her in season times..
No drop in 100 Free at NC’s
That’s true. There was no progress in her college senior year in SCY. And this is the year when we would usually expect the exclamation sign at the end of college swimming career before going pro. Like Missy Franklin for example.
Did you guys forget that Simone only participated in a total of four meets her senior year because she was out with an injury? She raced in two dual meets…Pac12 and NCs. She had an outstanding senior year as far as I’m concerned considering her circumstances. That 100 free AR record won’t be touched for years. No one currently or up and coming has Simone’s SCY speed.
I get that, but she also was injured most of the year and only swam in 3 meets prior to NC.
She doesnt need to its just that its gonna happen sooner or later just like it did with Ledecky….thats a joke hahahhaha