Olympic swimming star Simone Manuel delivered at the 2019 World Championships. She got off to a slow start, experiencing some hiccups, but, on balance, she more than responded to any doubters. In this interview she provides insight into what she was thinking throughout the competition and what she learned.
After the 2016 Olympics and 2017 World Championships, I felt Simone was in a great position to sweep the 50 and 100m freestyle at 2019 Worlds. I expected dissenting opinions and strong arguments about how that would not happen, but, at the end of the day, Simone is a big-meet swimmer. Big meet swimmers are different. They’re gladiators, and Simone epitomes the concept of the big meet swimmer.
PREDICTIONS!
Looking ahead to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials and the Olympic Games, these predictions are way too earlier, but let’s play the game. I do want to add that I think Simone could retire today. She’s an icon. She’s accomplished everything you want in a sports career, and winning one more Olympic medal would be an enormous accomplishment, however, I also believe Simone’s got more talent in the tank to reveal.
Simone – 2019 World Championship Results
- 50m Free – Gold – 24.05
- 100m Free – Gold – 52.04
I’m going back to my predictions pre-worlds for the U.S. Olympic Trials. I want to see:
- 50m Free – 23.89
- 100m Free – 51.9
2020 Olympic Games?
I can’t say what it’ll take to win the 2020 Olympics (maybe next spring we can play the predictions games again), but I am banking on Simone being a big meet swimmer. I predict she sweeps the 50 and 100m freestyles in Tokyo. But who cares what I think! What do you think?
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RECENT EPISODES
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.
Am I the only person who dislikes the 50 meter freestyle event? Probably! I think it’s gimmicky—too short to be a valid test. There’s a reason we don’t play 2-inning baseball games or 10-minute soccer or basketball games. You need a proper distance or time duration to test and compare talent. It’s very Olympics though, as the IOC over the last 20 years has really come to lean heavily on gimmicky events to lure young people to the games. BMC bike racing? Frisbee golf? Skateboarding will be an Olympic event soon, I’m sure. That said, I do enjoy watching swimming more than just about anything else at the summer Olympics.
Yes, and get rid of all that short yard nonsense while you are at it …….
SM’s record speaks for itself but she’s never blasted the opposition out of the water in the way that, say. Peaty or Ledecky have done. It’s also important to remember the 50/100FS are the deepest events and come the Olympics SM for the first time will be carrying all the burdens and expectations. I wouldn’t stake my life on it but I can’t see her doing the double.
So you think she’ll fold like C1? I don’t think Simone is built that way. Simone has won 3 – 100 Free championships in a row. She has gone 2,3,1 in the 50 Free during the same time frame. This is not some David taking down Goliath or someone coming out of the blue type of thing. If they haven’t been taking her serious, shame on them.
Dominance might ensure consistent victories, but Manuel is still remarkably consistent at winning on the biggest stages despite deep competition. She has 3 out of 3 wins at Worlds/Olympics level in the 100 free, while being the underdog in all of those races. She somehow always nails finals swims and sets PBs there, when it matters the most. Even if other swimmers are faster, I’m never betting against her again.
The difference will be in Tokyo, she will be the favourite, even if C1 comes storming past her again to win the 4X100 on the first day. SM will be the one to beat with everyone keeping an eye out for her, even if again she is in lane 1. She is a proven racer & has the wood on both C1 & SS in the 100 free.
Gashouse Mel, I’m all in on your past and future predictions for Simone. Some athletes are not afraid and just know when to step up in the biggest events.
googling “gashouse” – unless it means what is means…..and only Coleman would know about my gas….which is super-humanly low
….unless is means gaslight, of which, yes, I’m guilty.
“Gashouse” aka Gastonia, NC
Nice…. I like that…. I’m going Gashouse for all-time….
She reveals a lot about herself in this interview.
Her confidence in the high pressure moments comes in part from knowing that she has trained hard and is prepared and ready. That she was in lane 1 of the 2019 Worlds 100 free final did not matter to her, she was ready to perform. She blasted out of the blocks and executed a flawless race to beat Campbell and Sjostrom again.
So for the 2020 Olympics, Simone will be ready and confident and again, and the other girls will need a great swim to beat her for the gold.
Simone Manuel’s phenomenon is probably very rare. Other swimmers’ careers have either very strong beginning or peak somewhere in the middle or have a swan song at the final years. Not Simone’s case. With the exception of 2014 season only she shows steady improvement of her personal best year by year. And it isn’t like milliseconds but by big chunks. So big that each time when it happens I was expected her bouncing back after that. But no, she does it again next year surprising me even more. If she has so much in her then show it right away or give at least some hint what to expect.
She was coming in the 2016 season as one of… Read more »
She’s swimming faster because she’s pushing herself in the pool daily. She believes that her excellent practice results are going to translate to better times at the Big Meets.
She’s not the one having an anxiety attack behind the blocks before the race. She’s thinking that she’s ready to perform and her energy is strong (instead of draining out of her due to panic and fear like C1).
Mel: I absolutely would love this to come true, and we’ll hold you to it!
…………………………we’ll be following up on this topic next spring.
Great! Look forward to it!
member when you predicted a 1:51.9 for Phelps’s Rio 2 fly lol (tbf there were a ton of predictions at that time putting Phelps at 1:52 low or even 1:51 low) Also didn’t you predict a 51.8 for Grevers’ 100 back at 2016 Trials?
…………………stop it MR PIANO (selective memory is necessary for self-esteem)
What’s especially impressed me about SM’s swims is her “end-spurt” or closing speed. You saw it in both the 100 and the 50 in Rio: the last 10 meters she comes on very strong. She did it Budapest In 2017 against Sjostrom in the 100 free as well.
SM and C1 have a way in getting into each other’s heads: C1 has has some phenomenal anchor swims against SM, and SM seems to make C1 choke in individual 100s.
SM has a legitimate shot at 6 medals in Tokyo (incl. 4×200 relay). I hope she does it!
Regarding “sponsor obligations”: the only thing worse is not having any. Your sponsorships not only provide you with a very nice… Read more »
SM is also surprising with her versatility in race strategy. In Rio and 2017 WC – she was 3rd at 50m and come back to win both races. In 2019 WC, she went out fast and was first at 50, then keeping the lead to win that one.
thats well spotted – complete different strategy