Pernille Blume of Denmark celebrates after the women's 50m freestyle final at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 13, 2016. Pernille Blume won the gold medal. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Pernille Blume won Denmark's first gold medal of the Rio Olympics by storming to victory in the women's 50m freestyle here on Saturday.
The 22-year-old finished in 24.07 seconds, just two hundredths of a second ahead of Simone Manuel of the US at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium. Belarus swimmer Aliaksandra Herasimenia took bronze in 24.11 seconds.
Blume had never previously claimed an Olympic medal, despite winning three world championship titles.
Her time fell just short of the Olympic record of 24.05 seconds set by Dutch swimmer Ranomi Kromowidjojo at the London 2012 Games.
Manuel became the first Afro-American individual swimming gold medallist when she won the 100m freestyle on Thursday. The 20-year-old was also part of the USA's 4x100m freestyle relay team that claimed the silver medal on August 6.
