RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Simone Manuel leaned her head into her hands and broke down in tears when she recognized her historic achievement.
With her victory in the 100-meter freestyle, she became the first African-American woman to capture an Olympic gold medal in swimming.
The 20-year-old Manuel upset world-record holder Cate Campbell and tied with Penny Oleksiak of Canada at the Rio Games on Thursday.
"I hope that I can be an inspiration to others so this medal is for the people who come behind me and get into the sport and hopefully find love and drive to get to this point," Manuel said.