Olympic champion Simone Manuel chose not to enter next week’s U.S. Swimming Championships. She is focusing on being ready for the 2024 Olympic year after returning from a 17-month top-level competition break earlier this year.
“After discussions with my coaches and thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to race at this year’s Nationals,” was posted on Manuel’s social media. “This year has been full of new challenges for me. Quite frankly, it’s really not as simple as it may seem. There were a lot of steps, precautions, and patience to get my body back to normalcy and adjusting to a new training environment. I can confidently say that I’ve made great progress this year. I remember what I couldn’t do, not too long ago.”
“As I continue to progress, it’s important for me to feel mentally and physically good about my competition schedule and the purpose of each one I attend. Not competing at Nationals is not a decision I took lightly, but I firmly believe that this sacrifice is an investment for the future.
“The goal has always been to be my best for the 2024 Olympic Trials and hopefully, Paris. I know I can’t reach that goal if I’m not patient with myself and this process, so this summer, I will be prioritizing that. The journey continues!”
Manuel, the 2016 co-Olympic 100m free champion and five-time Olympic medalist, competed at all four stops of the domestic Pro Swim Series this year, the most recent in mid-May. She also competed at a local meet at her Arizona State training base the first week of June.
She ranks eighth in the U.S. this year by best times in her primary events of the 50m and 100m freestyles, according to USA Swimming’s database.
At next week’s nationals, the top two in the 50m free and the top six in the 100m free are likely to make the team for July’s world championships in Fukuoka, Japan. The top six usually go in the 100m free for relay purposes.
Manuel, 26, returned to top-level competition this year for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics, where she placed 12th in the 50m free and earned bronze on the 4x100m free relay. In 2022, Manuel moved from Stanford to Arizona State to train with Bob Bowman’s group.
