Simone Manuel<\/strong>\u00a0said she was surprised by her blazing 50 freestyle last evening, which felt relaxed and easy to her. She credited her stellar swim in 24.27–the third-fastest time in the world this year–to her calm mindset behind the blocks.<\/p>\n

Manuel also asserted that she feels good at this point in her practice cycle, although she hopes to continue working on her technique and mental game in the final phase of training for Budapest. Despite feeling pressure at times, Manuel says the key to her success is her ability to remain serene while facing outside pressures and her own high personal standards..<\/p>\n

In addition, Manuel alluded to her more disappointing swim earlier in the week in the 100 freestyle, in which she finished second to\u00a0Mallory Comerford<\/strong>. Manuel\u00a0says she\u00a0tried to keep her cool in the lead-up to the 50.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Manuel says, she “can’t really complain” about her performances this week, including three best times that she posted during the course of the meet.<\/p>\n