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Olympic Swimming: 17-year-old Missy Franklin sets record with backstroke gold
Reuters
LONDON – Missy Franklin of the United States won the gold medal in the women’s swimming 200m backstroke here Friday with a new world record.
The 17-year-old American clocked 2min 04.06secs to better the previous world record of 2:04.81, held by Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe.
Anastasia Zueva of Russia won the silver in 2:05.92 with American Elizabeth Beisel taking the bronze in 2:06.55.
It was Franklin’s third gold medal of the Games after her win in the 100m backstroke and the 4x200m freestyle relay.
“It feels absolutely amazing, I can’t think of a better way to end my individual events,” Franklin said.
“That is my favourite one, I wanted to get out there and have fun and that’s what I did.
“I never dreamed it would happen like that, I am the happiest girl alive.”
Franklin said her plan was to get to the front and dictate the pace.
“I knew I had to get out there, it was an incredible field I was up against in that last 25 I knew I was gving it everything I had because I couldn’t feel my arms and legs,” she said.
“I was just trying to get my hand to the wall as fast as I could.
For Franklin, she said the partying starts after the medley relay on Saturday night.
