Simone Manuel’s 200 Freestyle is Your Speedo Performance of the Week

PHOENIX – Simone Manuel was the talk of the swimming community last week at the Art Adamson Invitational at Texas A&M University, winning the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles in lifetime bests. While the 100 freestyle turned out to be an American record, it was the 200 freestyle that really got our attention here at Swimming World.


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Manuel made her breakthrough with the 50 and 100 freestyles, taking the 50 free national title at the USA Swimming long course nationals in 2013 and finishing fourth in the 100. She was, at the time, pretty good in the 200 free, but nothing that would suggest she would be making an impact in that distance in the immediate future. But her 1:42.03 last Saturday shot her all the way up to seventh on the all-time performers list and just outside the top 10 performances of all time. Very few swimmers around the world are able to be this good in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles. Probably the last female to do so well in all three distances at the same time was Jenny Thompson in the late 1990s. That says a lot about Manuel’s potential, but of course we’ll have to see how this all plays out at the NCAA championships, and in the 18 months or so leading up to the Olympic Trials.

But for now, Simone Manuel, your 200 free was our pick for the Speedo Performance of the Week.

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Bob
Bob
9 years ago

Joe, you don’t need to go back to the late 1990s to find someone who performed so well in the 50/100/200 triple. KLJ won all three in 2006 at NCAAs and set the AR in the 50. This was an amazing triple for SM. Very impressive, can’t wait to see her at NCAAs.

Brian Stipek
Brian Stipek
9 years ago

Just a few years ago there was a time when Natalie held the American record in seven events: the 50, 100, and 200 Free, the 100 and 200 Fly, and the 100 and 200 Back. I would regularly stare in awe at this website’s American SCY records page, seeing her name listed so many times. Let’s not forget about Natalie’s accomplishments!

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