*For the first time ever, two black women have made history by making the Olympic swim team simultaneously. The two Black Stanford University student swimmers, Simone Manuel, 19, and Lia Neal, 21, made it through the Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska, making it the first time two Black women will represent the U.S. in swimming.
Naturally, news of their accomplishment placed the young women in the center of racist ridicule when Yahoo announced the news. Trolls accused the site of showing favoritism and adding to the racial divide in the country by highlighting the success of two black women.
The pair, both good friends, landed a spot on the 4 x 100 freestyle team. Madame Noire notes that both women have previously made history, as “Neal won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay at the 2012 Olympics in London. And in 2015, Neal and Manuel were two of three Black people to place in the top three spots for the 100-yard freestyle during the Women’s NCAA swimming championships. Manuel came in first, Neal came in second and swimmer Natalie Hinds came in third.”
READ RELATED NEWS: Gabby Douglas: ‘Always Keep Fighting In Life’ [EUR Exclusive]
Manuel, a Houston native, is also adding the 50 meter freestyle to her list of events for the Olympics in Rio. When speaking about her first trip to the Olympics, Manuel told NBC, “I was pretty nervous for most of my races. Just making the team in itself is a great accomplishment. Just getting to Rio, all the nerves will be gone and I think I’ll be able to swim a little bit faster.”
As for Neal, she took to Twitter to say, “I’m a two-time Olympian and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, coaches, and friends. I am thankful beyond words.”
Congrats to these two champions!
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
