Though the Americans didn’t win gold in the women’s 400 free relay on Saturday at the 2014 Pan Pac Championships, they did learn something that will be equally as valuable headed for the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Sprinter Simone Manuel verified her status as the proverbial “real deal” when she led the team off in a 53.25. That sets a new National Age Group Record, breaking the 53.36 done by Missy Franklin in 2013.
Manuel was racing Australian Cate Campbell on that lead-off, who all-told is the best sprinter in the world this year. Though Campbell was a bit faster in 52.89, Manuel didn’t shirk from that challenge. Much as she didn’t shirk from the challenge on the tie-breaking 200 mixed medley relay at the Duel in the Pool in December, where she not only held off, but out-split, Britain’s Fran Halsall on the anchor leg (Halsall also being one of the world’s ultra-elite sprinters).
From her first moment in the senior international spotlight last year, where Manuel broke National Age Group Records and made the final in the 50 free just days after her 17th birthday, she’s been a gutsy swimmer. The American coaches have sensed that, it seems, as Manuel keeps showing up in pressure situations – lead-offs and anchors – where we’ve seen other young American swimmers buckle.
That swim by Manuel is not only the fastest an American has been as a 17-18, is also makes her the second-fastest American in history. No American has ever been under 53 seconds, which in itself is pretty shocking, but lest we forget, Manuel is also the fastest American 100 yard freestyler of all time. Amanda Weir holds the long course record at 53.02.
By this time next year, Manuel could very well hold both Americans Records in the 100 meter freestyle after a year of training at Stanford with the likes of Lia Neal, Maddy Schaefer, and the rest of a very talented sprint group. With a big changing-of-the-guard possible between now and Rio, and certainly between now and Tokyo, Manuel’s speed is exactly the shot-in-the-arm American women’s sprinting needs, especially with how well the Europeans and Australians have performed there in the last three years.
Manuel is the most exciting thing to happen to women’s swimming in the United States since the emergence of a young 14-year old who holds a place in this story as well: Missy Franklin. Those two are the key to American gold in the 400 free relay in both Kazan and Rio, and they’ll get to see each other plenty as cross-town college rivals next season.
Just hope that the incoming freshman class adapts to college life and a new coach seamlessly.
“Manuel is the most exciting thing to happen to women’s swimming in the United States…” are you forgetting about someone named Ledecky?
for the SPRINTS ! There has not been a great sprinter in Usa of the caliber of Manuel for a long time , that’s what it means . Of course hands down Ledecky is the best long distance freestyler right now on the planet .
Another awesome swim for Simone! Love the superstar relay swims. The recent emergence of a gold medalist and triple world record holder has also been a pretty exciting recent development for women’s swimming in the United States of course
How about Simone Manuel and her Stanford teammates are the most exciting thing to happen to women’s swimming in the US since the emergence of Franklin and her teammates across the bay?
Next stop: 52 high.