{"id":478833,"date":"2021-06-19T19:17:42","date_gmt":"2021-06-20T02:17:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=478833"},"modified":"2021-06-20T03:38:02","modified_gmt":"2021-06-20T10:38:02","slug":"u-s-olympic-trials-abbey-weitzeil-sets-best-time-simone-manuel-moves-on-in-50-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/u-s-olympic-trials-abbey-weitzeil-sets-best-time-simone-manuel-moves-on-in-50-free\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Olympic Trials: Abbey Weitzeil Sets Best Time, Simone Manuel Moves on in 50 Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.S. Olympic Trials: Abbey Weitzeil Sets Best Time, Simone Manuel Moves on in 50 Free<\/strong><\/p>\n

The women\u2019s 100 freestyle threw down surprises Thursday night<\/a>, in the sprint event that is usually a surer gauge than the splash and dash. Saturday night, for Simone Manuel<\/strong> at least, it proved a clearer guide.<\/p>\n

Manuel made it back easily in the 50 free preliminaries Saturday morning, then went quicker in the evening at 24.50 seconds to win the first semifinal heat. She\u2019s the third overall seed in Sunday night\u2019s final.<\/p>\n

With one day left in Olympic Trials, it gives the sprinting star of Rio and the leader of the U.S. sprint program through his Olympic cycle one last chance at getting to Tokyo.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mentality I had is I don\u2019t quit,\u201d Manuel said. \u201cI am the person that fights to the end. Even though the 100 didn\u2019t go the way I wanted, I wanted to give myself a chance in the 50. I want to be able to walk away with my head held high. Hopefully it gets me to Tokyo but if it doesn\u2019t then I\u2019m proud of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n