Simone Manuel Just Become the First Black Woman to Medal in Individual Swimming
Last night was a historic moment for Simone Manuel, as she became the first African-American woman to win an individual swimming medal EVER.
She tied with Penny Oleksiask of Canada for the gold in the 100m freestyle, an event the US has not won since 1984.
To make things even more impressive, both women broke the world record time for the event, coming in at 52.7 seconds.
“It’s definitely been a long journey these past four years. I’m just so blessed to have a gold medal. I’m just so blessed,” Simone Manuel told NBC News after the race.
“It means a lot. This medal is not just for me, it’s for a whole bunch of people who have came before me and been n inspiration to me. It’s for all the people who come after me who believe they can’t do it. And I just want to be [an] inspiration to those that you can do it.”
Get it, girl.
