Erica Sullivan Experiences Rising Popularity After 1500 Freestyle Silver Medal

To swimming fans, Erica Sullivan is a very familiar name, as Sullivan has been on the scene since the 2016 Olympic Trials meet where she placed 12th overall in the 800 freestyle.  However, since winning an Olympic silver medal in the 1500 freestyle in Tokyo, Sullivan has quickly become a household name for more than just her swimming, becoming the first openly gay US swimmer to win an Olympic medal. Her feat has become a pinnacle of the Olympics within the media, including feature articles in the Washington Post, The New York Times, and other prominent media outlets.  Her presence even grabbed the attention of BuzzFeed and Tumblr, with BuzzFeed calling her the “new lesbian supreme.”  Sullivan first grabbed public attention during her post-race interview, where she spoke with the media in fluent-Japanese, her mother’s native language. She then proclaimed herself the “epitome of the American person,” explaining to reporters, “I’m multicultural. I’m queer. I’m a lot of minorities. That’s what America is. To me, America is not about being a majority. It’s about having your own start. The American Dream is coming to a country to establish what you want to do with your life.” That response, in particular,…
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