Two young African American females—Simone Manuel and Simone Biles–are making history in the world of sports.
Simone Manuel leads African American swimmers in continuing the assault on stereotypes about African Americans and Swimming. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she won two gold and two silver medals: gold in the 100-meter freestyle, her signature event, and the 4 x 100-meter medley, and silver in the 50-meter freestyle and the 4X100-meter freestyle relay. In winning the 100-meter freestyle—the most prestigious event in swimming Manuel became the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic gold in swimming. In the process, she set an Olympic record and an American record.
Manuel moved the bar even higher at the World Championships in 2017. She won five gold medals and a bronze. And most significantly, she repeated her feat in the Olympics, beating the world record holder to win the 100-m freestyle, in the process setting an American record. She also won the bronze medal in the 50-m freestyle, once again setting an American record. Simone swam the 100-meter anchor leg in each of her four gold medal relay races.
Simone Manuel continued her exploits this year as she completed a sweep of the 50- and 100-meter freestyles at the 2019 World Swimming Championships, becoming the first American woman to achieve the feat.
Simone Manuel is the best female in the world in the sprints; however, Simone Biles is considered the greatest gymnast of all time (GOAT). She is probably the most dominant athlete in any sport in the world today.
Biles is the 2016 Olympic individual all-around, vault, and floor gold medalist, and balance beam bronze medalist. She was part of the gold-medal-winning team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[5]
Here is a summary of her exploits. As you read them remember that after the 2016 Olympics she took a year off.
Biles is a four-time World all-around champion (2013–15, 2018), four-time World floor exercise champion (2013–15, 2018), winning these events the four straight years in which she participated. She is a two-time World balance beam champion (2014, 2015), the 2018 World vault champion, a six-time United States national all-around champion (2013–16, 2018, 2019), and a member of the gold-medal-winning American teams at the 2014, 2015, and 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Of course, she has won several silver and bronze medals in individual events over the years. At national and international meets other women admit that they are competing for second place.
Having won a combined total of twenty-five Olympic and World Championship medals, Biles is the most decorated American gymnast. At the 2018 World Gymnastics Championships, Biles became the female gymnast with the most World all-around titles (4) and total World medals (20), as well as the gymnast with the most World gold medals of any gender (14).
Her considerable number of wins does not make her the GOAT. She’s the GOAT because she does skills that no woman has done before. When you land these skills in an international competition (a World Championships or an Olympic Games, more specifically), they name it after you.
Aside from The Biles on the floor, her signature double layout half, the four-time World Champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist has another move bearing her name on vault, also called “The Biles.” She is on her way to getting another move named after her—the triple-double on the floor that she recently performed at the U.S. National Championships.
This YouTube video shows Biles’ amazing floor exercise that starts with the incredible triple-double: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fdp8SVOSF4
