In a setback for the American swim team at the Paris Olympics, Simone Manuel was unable to advance past the preliminaries of the 50-meter freestyle event. Manuel’s time of 24.87 seconds placed her 18th in the race, falling short of the top 16 needed for the semifinals. The fastest qualifier, Sarah Sjöström of Sweden, led the pack by a significant 1.02-second margin.
Following her race, Manuel swiftly left the deck, declining to answer questions from reporters. The United States team, known for its swimming prowess, has faced challenges at the Tokyo Olympics with 21 total medals but only four golds as of the second-to-last day of competition.
Notable swimmers such as Caeleb Dressel, who had achieved five gold medals at the Tokyo Games, experienced disappointment by not advancing in the 100 butterfly event. Dressel was visibly emotional after his elimination. Similarly, Ryan Murphy, a strong performer in backstroke events, secured a bronze in the 100 backstroke but fell short of his goal in the 200 backstroke, missing out on a chance to defend his titles from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.