BTN STAFF
The last time an American woman won gold in the 100 meter freestyle was 1984. The last time an American Black woman won that competition was never. Simone Manuel made history by becoming the first American Black woman to win the event. Manuel had to share the victory with a Canadian swimmer who tied her record score of 52.70 seconds. ‘I’m super glad that I can be an inspiration to others and hopefully diversify the sport,’ she said ‘But at the same time, I would like there to be a day where there are more of us and it’s not like ‘Simone, the black swimmer,’ because the title ‘black swimmer’ makes it seem like I’m not supposed to be able to win a gold medal.’ To read more about this story click here.