Alan Baldwin, Washington Post, August 12, 2016: The significance of Simone Manuel’s swim is clear if you know Jim Crow
Simone Manuel became the first black woman from this country to win an individual Olympic swimming medal, the gold in the 100 meter freestyle (actually a tie with a Canadian). It is significant when one considers the racial bias that has kept African American men and women from participating in swimming at all levels from the local community pool to the Olympics. Alan Baldwin's article addresses the hurdles that women like Manuel have had to overcome to achieve success.
Beyond that, I just liked Simone Manuel's spirit...her smiling face and the comradeship that she exhibited with her fellow swimmers as she was given the anchor leg in also winning gold in the medley relay. She is a role model for swimmers of all races.