US swimmer Simone Manuel backs tennis star Naomi Osaka by calling for an end to athlete interviews after bad performances

Echoing remarks from Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, US swimmer Simone Manuel is demanding an end to athlete interviews immediately following defeats.

'Please stop interviewing athletes right after a disappointing performance before they have any time to process anything,' tweeted Manuel, who won bronze I'm the 4X100 freestyle relay at the Tokyo Games. 'Trust me. They gave it their all. Nothing else people need to know at that time.'

Manuel was not calling for the abolishment of post-event interviews, but rather more empathy from the media during a difficult time for competitors.

Echoing remarks from Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, US swimmer Simone Manuel is demanding an end to athlete interviews immediately following defeats

In this file photo taken on July 27, 2021 Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball to Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova during their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women's singles third round tennis match at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo. Osaka, a four-time grand slam winner, previously raised the issue of post-event interviews back in June when she initially said she wouldn't be doing any media at the French Open due to the toll it takes on her mental health. She ultimately pulled out of the tournament and remained sidelined until her native Japan began hosting the 2020 Tokyo Games last week

Manuel was not calling for the abolishment of post-event interviews, but rather more empathy from the media during a difficult time for competitors

'Just give us a moment,' she tweeted. 'The story can wait. Empathy and kindness is the most important thing we need in that moment.'

Osaka, a four-time grand slam winner, previously raised the issue back in June when she initially said she wouldn't be doing any media at the French Open due to the toll it takes on her mental health. She ultimately pulled out of the tournament and remained sidelined until her native Japan began hosting the 2020 Tokyo Games last week.

While the 23-year-old Osaka's decision was supported by many athletes, including tennis legend Serena Williams, it also drew criticism from other celebrities, such as British media personality Piers Morgan, who called her an 'arrogant spoiled brat' in a DailyMail.com piece.

Manuel appeared to take aim at those critics in her Twitter thread on Friday.

'The amount of people who say we're just sore losers or that we are ''obligated'' to do the interviews is problematic,' Manuel wrote. 'Lack of empathy for athletes is problematic. As someone who studied communication in college with multiple journalism classes, I understand the role of media.'

Manuel stressed that reporters should be focused on treating athletes as humans with an understanding of the difficulties that come with losing a major event after years of training.

Manuel suggested that some athletes and fans feel they're owed athletes' souls 

'As an athlete, I'm hyper aware on how their role can be improved for the betterment of all of us,' she tweeted. 'Personally, I believe there should be some type of/better training to know when/if to interview and how to talk about certain topics, victories, and disappointments alike.

'To look at us as humans with emotions. It's mentally and emotionally exhausting to coherently answer questions while trying to process the fact that people already saw you fall short of the goals you worked so hard for on the world's biggest stage.

'So much of our life is public but not all our emotions have to be. For example: It's not on public display when someone gets fired from their job or fails a test. As athletes, we aren't obligated to give people all of our soul.

The 2020 Tokyo Games weren't kind to Manuel. The American sprinter failed to advance to the 50-meter freestyle final in Tokyo, finishing tied for 11th in the semifinals on Saturday

'And it seems like that's what the media and some spectators like. By no means is this an attack on the media. Just offering solutions that I believe many athletes feel need to be made.'

The 2020 Tokyo Games weren't kind to Manuel.

The American sprinter failed to advance to the 50-meter freestyle final in Tokyo, finishing tied for 11th in the semifinals on Saturday.

'It's hard to work so hard for something and not see the results pay off,' she said on July 31. 'The swim I had was my best today, but it's not representative of my potential.'

The chaotic single-lap race was Manuel's only individual event in Tokyo, where she was a co-captain of the US women's team. She didn't qualify at the Olympic trials in the 100 free and wasn't able to defend her historic title won five years ago at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

Manuel became the first Black woman to win an individual gold in swimming in 2016. She also claimed silver in the 50 free, one of her four medals from Rio.

She revealed at the trials that she had been diagnosed with burnout earlier this year, forcing her to stop training for a time after the coronavirus pandemic had already disrupted her Olympic preparations. She rallied at trials to qualify for the 50 free.

'I'm really proud of myself,' she said, with teammates Natalie Hinds, Lilly King and Allison Schmitt standing behind her. 'I finished what I started.

'It maybe didn't end the way I wanted it to, but I have so much to be proud of,' she said. 'I have so many people that love me, whether I accomplish something or I don't. I'm really grateful to be here.'