{"id":262450,"date":"2017-06-26T14:57:04","date_gmt":"2017-06-26T21:57:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=262450"},"modified":"2017-06-26T14:57:04","modified_gmt":"2017-06-26T21:57:04","slug":"confident-simone-manuel-sets-her-sights-on-200-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/confident-simone-manuel-sets-her-sights-on-200-free\/","title":{"rendered":"(Video) Confident Simone Manuel Sets Her Sights on 200 Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

By David Rieder.<\/em><\/p>\n

Four years ago, Simone Manuel<\/strong> qualified for her first World Championship team, finishing third in the 100 free and second in the 50 free at U.S. Nationals. Since then, she has represented the U.S. in the sprint events at every major international meet.<\/p>\n

That all culminated last summer in Rio, when Manuel won Olympic gold in the 100 free and silver in the 50 free. She also took gold as part of the U.S. women\u2019s 400 medley relay team and a silver in the 400 free relay.<\/p>\n

But Manuel has never finished high enough in the 200 free to swim the 800 free relay internationally. In the Olympic Trials final of the 200, Manuel was in the lead at the halfway point and tied for second at the 150 before she fell apart down the stretch.<\/p>\n

Her 31.96 final 50 was the slowest in the field by more than a second, and she ended up seventh, two tenths away from an Olympic relay berth.<\/p>\n

Still, Manuel insists that she has what it takes to swim the 200 free long course.<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, I think I am a good 200 freestyler, and I\u2019m trying to figure out how to swim it,\u201d Manuel said. \u201cIt was kind of a bummer last year, but after not making it, I kind of justified why I shouldn\u2019t have made it. I really am working on trying to become a better 200 freestyler, because I think it helps my 100 free.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Manuel had not yet qualified for the Olympic team at that point\u2014the 100 free and 50 free both came up later in the program\u2014so how did she justify not making the team in the 200?<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I would have made the team, would that have made me had less pressure on making the team in the 100 free? I don\u2019t think it would have. And going into the Olympic Games, I think the 800 free is the same day of the 100 free semi-finals,\u201d she pointed out. \u201cIt was just kind of a coping mechanism for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time around, Manuel explained that she\u2019s done more training specifically geared towards the 200 free, with her sights set on swimming that 800 free relay at Worlds. By the time the 200 free comes around on day two in the U.S. Nationals program, she figures to have already made the team in the 100 free, in which she will be heavily favored on day one.<\/p>\n

\"simone-manuel-\"

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick<\/p><\/div>\n

Since the night she captured her first individual Olympic gold, Manuel has swum with poise and confidence, and it has paid off. She capped off her NCAA campaign by smashing the American record in the 100-yard free (45.56), and she\u2019s been consistently quick throughout the long course season.<\/p>\n

That confidence makes Manuel a threat in the sprint events at any meet she swims and perhaps even in the 200 free, where a relay berth looks well within her reach this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just that comes from the work that I put in every day at practice and just believing that I can achieve the goals that I have for myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI have a great support system, and going up to the blocks and having your teammates really believe in you and your coaches believe in you and your parents and family and friends is something that makes racing fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch a full replay of Manuel’s pre-meet press conference at U.S. Nationals:<\/strong><\/p>\n