Olympic gold medalist Simone Manuel delved into her decision to skip next week’s U.S. National Championships in an Instagram post, noting how she believes that “this sacrifice is an investment for future.”
“Swim update: After discussions with my coaches and thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to race at this year’s Nationals,” the 26-year-old American sprinter wrote. “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.”
Manuel struggled with overtraining syndrome (OTS) in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Last August, she announced she was moving to Tempe to join Bob Bowman‘s stacked pro group at Arizona State. This year, Manuel raced at all four stops of the Pro Swim Series, clocking season-best times in the 50 free (25.18) and 100 free (54.50) that would have seeded her 13th and 14th, respectively, had she entered those events at U.S. Nationals. She holds the American record in both events at 23.97 and 52.04 from the 2017 and 2019 World Championships, respectively.
“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,” Manuel wrote. “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,” she added. “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! The support of my coaches and teammates has been phenomenal, and I can’t wait to see them kill it at Nationals! ????”
Manuel also missed last year’s U.S. International Team Trials while dealing with the same OTS issue. The American record holder has won a whopping 16 medals at the LCM World Championships, including 11 gold. She also currently holds the world record in the women’s LCM 4×100 medley relay, where she provided a blistering 51.86 anchor split.
