The American opened up about overtraining syndrome and depression after stunningly missing the Olympics in her main event. Then she made the most of her last chance
God, please, Simone Manuel thought to herself as she touched the pool wall and closed out her final heat of the US Olympic trials 50m freestyle swim race on Sunday, her last-ditch chance to stamp her ticket to Tokyo. And when she looked on high for a sign, there it was, writ large on a scoreboard inside CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska: her name at the top of the list after registering a .01sec margin of victory over two-time Olympic relay medalist Abbey Weitzeil, who swiftly drew Manuel into a congratulatory bear hug.
At that point the news was still sinking in. And when it finally hit the 24-year-old Texan moments later, taking more time it seemed than even her 24.29sec swim, she rocked back under water as if newly baptized. After holding prayer hands to her face as the emotion swelled in cheeks and eyes, Manuel leaned over the lane maker and punched the water in triumph. She was back where she belonged, on the world’s biggest stage, and so soon after the gilded career she had spent practically all of her young life working toward looked for all the world to be doomed.
