Simone Manuel Enters 50/100/200 Free At Trials for Potential 7 Olympic Events

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

• When:
  • Wave I Dates: June 4-7, 2021
  • Wave II Dates: June 13-20, 2021
• Prelims: 10am CDT | Finals: 7pm CDT
• Where: CHI Health Center / Omaha, Nebraska
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifying Cuts
• Wave I & II Event Order
• LCM (50m)
• Prelims Live Stream (NBC Olympics)
• Finals Live Stream (Olympic Channel)
• Wave II Psych Sheets
• Wave II Live Results

Simone Manuel will target the same three events (50 free, 100 free, 200 free) she did at 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, with the potential for 7 Olympic events between them.

In 2016, a 19-year-old Manuel qualified for her first Olympic team via second-place finishes in the 50 free and 100 free. She was also 7th – just one spot outside the qualifying group – in the 200 free after sitting 6th out of semifinals.

Manuel just kept improving through the Olympics. She tied for gold in the 100 free and took home silver in the 50 free. She has since won back-to-back World Championships golds in the 100 free, as well as 50 free gold at 2019 Worlds.

Manuel’s entry in the 200 free was widely expected. She sits third on the official psych sheets behind only Katie Ledecky and Allison Schmitt, to go with her #1 seeds in the 50 free and 100 free. This will be the third consecutive U.S. Olympic Trials where Manuel tackles all three events. As a 15-year-old in 2012, Manuel tied for 20th in the 50 free, took 17th in the 100 free and placed 50th in the 200 free.

Those three events at Olympic Trials could offer Manuel a pathway to up to 7 Olympic events, depending on her finish in each final:

• 50 free:
  • individual event (top 2)
• 100 free:
  • individual event (top 2)
  • Women’s 4×100 free relay (top 6)
  • Women’s 4×100 medley relay (top 2)
  • Mixed 4×100 medley relay (top 1)
• 200 free:
  • individual event (top 2)
  • Women’s 4×200 free relay (top 6)

Here’s a look at what Manuel’s Olympic Trials schedule could look like, session-by-session:

Stanford coach Greg Meehan says Manuel is entered in the 200 free and will make a decision on racing it as the event gets closer.