The 2016 Olympics has had some amazing moments. Some have been emotional. Some have been historic. And some have even been emotional and historic. Of course, Michael Phelps comes to mind with his 23 gold and 28 total medals. But I think were also moments that signify something greater than any number of medals – whether gold, silver or bronze – could signify for a sport, a country, a race and for people. I need only show the names and you’ll know: Simone Manuel and Anthony Ervin.
Both Simone’s and Anthony’s winning races will add 2016 entries to their previous entries in the list below.
Their reactions were priceless and captured on camera for the world to share. Both were shocked by their gold medal wins because they were underdogs. But then the significance of their wins to history began to sink in.
Simone claimed her second place in history by winning the gold in the women’s 100m freestyle – becoming the first black woman to win Olympic individual swimming gold.
Anthony claimed his second place in history by winning the gold in the men’s 50m freestyle – becoming the oldest swimmer (of any race) to win Olympic individual swimming gold. Anthony is also of Jewish, black and native American descent. And this is the same event for which he won his first Olympic gold medal in 2000.
Sharing two moments in history that both claim a place in black swimming history makes this a great moment to look back at this historical record as aggregated by USA Swimming.
In the 1950s | Andrew Young was the first black swimmer to receive The International Swimming Hall of Fame’s medallion of honor (1952-1956, Howard University).
In 1962 | Nate Clark was the first black swimmer to score in an NCAA Championship final (1962, Ohio state, 200 Fly).
In 1975 | Fred Evans was the first black swimmer to win a national collegiate championship (Chicago State, 1975, 100 Breast).
In 1976 | Enith Brigitha of the Netherlands was the first swimmer of African descent to win an Olympic medal (1976, Montreal, 100 Free).
In 1982 | Chris Silva was the first African-American swimmer to make the U.S. National team (Team Captain, UCLA, 1982).
In 1988 | Sybil Smith was the first black female swimmer to score in an NCAA final (1988, Boston University, 100 Back).
In 1988, 1990-1992 | Anthony Nesty was the first swimmer of African descent to win an Olympic gold medal (1988, Seoul, 100 Fly); First male swimmer of African descent to win an NCAA Div. I Championship (1990-1992, 100 Fly).
In 1997 | Sabir Muhammad was the first black swimmer to set an American record (1997, Stanford University, 100 Fly).
In 1999 | Alison Terry was the first black female swimmer to make a U.S. national team (1999, Pan American Games).
In 2000 | Anthony Ervin was the first black swimmer to make a U.S. Olympic swimming team (2000 Sydney Olympic Games).
In 2002, 2004 | Maritza (Correia) McClendon is the first African-American female swimmer to set an American and world swimming record (2002, NCAA championships, 50 and 100 Free); First African-American Female to make the US Olympic Swim team (2004); First black female swimmer to win a NCAA Division I Championship (2002, Georgia, 50 Free); First African-American female to win an Olympic medal (2004 Olympic Games, 400 Free Relay).
In 2006 | Cullen Jones was the first African-American male to hold a world record in swimming as a member of the 4x100m during the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, British Columbia.
In 2015 | Alia Atkinson was the first black woman to win a world title in swimming (2015, 100 m breaststroke, world short course swimming championship, Doha).
In 2015 | Simone Manuel (Stanford) was the first of three African-Americans to place in the top three spots at the 100 yard freestyle in any Women’s Division I NCAA Swimming Championship: Lia Neal (Stanford) was second, and Natalie Hinds (Florida) was third (2015).
Source: USASwimming.org, NYTimes.com, JTA.org
