Last Thursday, 20-year-old Simone Manuel became the first African American woman to win gold in an individual event for swimming at the Olympics in Rio. She earned her medal for the 100-meter freestyle after finishing the race with a time of 52:70. She tied for gold with 16-year-old Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak. Initially, an Australian swimmer (Cate Campbell) was favored to win, but Simone focused on what she wanted to accomplish amidst all the talk. After winning gold, Simone made it clear that this victory was not just for herself.
When asked about her win Simone told reporters, “It means a lot, especially with what is going on in the world today, some of the issues of police brutality,” Manuel commented. “This win hopefully brings hope and change to some of the issues that are going on. My color just comes with the territory.”
The Olympics are the greatest stage for athletes. With so many people watching the events and interviews worldwide, for Simone to mention a problem like police brutality is huge. She has demonstrated perfectly at the Olympics how you can love your country and bring it glory while still bringing awareness to ongoing issues.
Simone is not the first athlete to call out race problems while at the Olympics. In 1936 at the Berlin games Jesse Owens won four gold medals for track and field but was still forced to enter through a back door at a celebration for his victories once he got back on United States soil. Also the great Muhammed Ali reportedly threw his 1960 light heavyweight boxing gold medal from the Rome Olympics in the Ohio River after he was refused service at a diner in his hometown (Louisville, Kentucky).
Then of course, there is the famous image of John Carlos and Tommie Smith with their fists raised in a Black Power salute on the Olympic podium after winning in Mexico City for track and field. This did not come without consequences; their gold and bronze medals were immediately revoked.
In an interview Carlos told Vox, "As soon as we raised our hands, it's like somebody hit a switch; the mood in the stadium went straight to venom. Within days, Tommie and I were suspended from the US Olympic team and had to leave Mexico City early."
While it is evident that race discussions at the Olympics is nothing new is nothing new, Simone admits that she struggles with balancing her racial identity while just trying to be a great swimmer regardless of the fact that she is black. "It is something I’ve definitely struggled with a lot," she said. "Coming into the race I tried to take weight of the black community off my shoulders. It’s something I carry with me. I want to be an inspiration, but I would like there to be a day when it is not ‘Simone the black swimmer.’"
