Reuters
Rio de Janeiro, August 12: Canadian Penny Oleksiak and Simone Manuel of the United States were inseparable at the finish and even more united in joy after a stunning 100 metres freestyle dead-heat rewarded both with Olympic gold here Thursday.
Both women, one 16 and the other 20 are very much part of a new wave in swimming, touched the wall in 52.70 seconds as the crowd gasped at the times flashing up on the scoreboard.
Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, the Olympic 100m butterfly champion who took the bronze in 52.99 seconds, was astonished. “I think that was a big shock for everyone in the final. Everyone had to watch the result many times before we understood what happened… the biggest surprise so far in this competition,” Sjostrom pointed out.
It was the second time the women’s 100 freestyle had ended in such a fashion – the 1984 Los Angeles Games saw a tie between Americans Nancy Hogshead and Carrie Steinseifer in 55.92s.
“It’s amazing to tie for gold. I never thought I’d win. She deserves it as much as me,” said Oleksiak, the first athlete born in the 21st century to claim an Olympic gold in an individual event. “I’m only 16 so it’s pretty insane to win a gold medal in your first Olympics.”
She was only seventh at the turn but powered back on the final 50 metres with a frenzied, head-down final 15 metres to the wall.
Manuel’s first gold also comes at her first Olympics where she too, as an African-American swimmer, also carried a particular resonance.
“This medal is not just for me, it’s for some of the African-Americans that have come before me and have been inspirations and mentors to me,” she told journalists.
“I think it means a lot, especially what’s going on in the world today with some of the issues with police brutality. I think that this win kind of helps bring hope and change to some of the issues that are going on.”
