Missy Franklin Makes Competitive Return in Canet Day 1 Prelims

2018 MARE NOSTRUM TOUR, CANET-EN-ROUSSILLON

Saturday morning in Canet, France, 23-year old American swimmer Missy Franklin swam her first races since the 2016 Olympic Games in the opening session of the Mare Nostrum Series.

Fittingly, her first race back was the event that stands out among a long list of events where she’s had success: the 200 backstroke, where she’s the current World Record holder.

In that event, Frankin swam a 2:13.61, which qualified her 5th in the event through to finals, behind top-seeded Katinka Hosszu, who herself is making her way back from an extended competition break that didn’t see her race for almost 6 months.

200 Back, Top 5 from Prelims

  1. Katinka Hosszu, Hungary – 2:11.21
  2. Daria K. Ustinova, Russia – 2:11.60
  3. Taylor Ruck, Canada – 2:11.86
  4. Chloe Golding, Great Britain, 2:12.80
  5. Missy Franklin, USA – 2:13.61

Franklin’s 200 back splits:

  • 31.77
  • 33.37 (1:05.14)
  • 34.25
  • 34.22 (1:08.47)

In her follow-up, Franklin qualified 9th in the 200 free in 2:00.51, behind top-qualifying Charlotte Bonnet of France (and also a new revelation 17-year old Ajna Kesely of Hungary in 1:58.53). That swim puts Franklin into the B-Final, albeit a capable B-Final with international-caliber swimmers like Daria Ustinova and American junior Brooke Forde.

Franklin’s 200 free splits:

  • 28.46
  • 30.46 (58.92)
  • 31.16
  • 30.43 (1:01.59)
  • TOTAL TIME: 2:00.51

Contextualizing these swims are a tricky game, because prior to 2016, Franklin was arguably the best female swimmer in the world and with little argument the best in the world at these events. In spite of two shoulder surgeries, Franklin is still physically-built to be a world-class swimmer at 6’2″ tall, and even moving across the country to train at Georgia, she’s still working with a world-class coach Jack Bauerle who has trained more World and Olympic Champions than most. So, it would have been unlikely for Franklin to show up at her first meet back and lay a total egg.

In 2016, her last full season of racing, she was 1:59.99 in the 200 free at the prelims of the Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite, a meet timed similarly to this one. She dropped to a 1:57.78 in finals. She was 2:11.46 in prelims of the 200 back at that same meet, and improved to 2:09.45 in finals.

But the circumstances this year are very different, given what Franklin has been through over the last 2 years. Primarily, it’s good to see her back in the water and battling elite international fields. Importantly, they’re qualifying times for this summer’s National Championships (yes, even 5-time Olympic gold medalists and 11-time World Champions have to hit qualifying times) that Franklin didn’t previously have.

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ERVINFORTHEWIN
6 years ago

That Picture is special – thanks to Mike’s eye of the tiger placement .

SwimFan
6 years ago

Welcome back Missy! That’s a cool pic…. She looks like she’s standing on the water.

bobo gigi
6 years ago

Men’s 100 breast
1. Peaty 59.31
5. Andrew 1.00.66

bear drinks beer
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

I kind of doubt Peaty will break 58 this year.

bobo gigi
Reply to  bear drinks beer
6 years ago

Maybe a deserved and smart “off” year for him. No worlds or olympics this year.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

He swims one Olympic event, never even tries the 200. Not exactly a grind.

bobo gigi
6 years ago

Efimova fans will be happy. She won the 100 breast in 1.05.78. King should respond tonight.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

King always responds ……😜

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

It’s a 200 for King tonight, so there won’t be much of a response.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
6 years ago

its a response nonetheless with the fighting spirit

bobo gigi
6 years ago

Women’s 200 back
1. Ruck 2.08.80
2 Ustinova 2.09.95
6. Franklin 2.13.14

bobo gigi
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

Interesting to hear what she has to say about the double. 200 free is very encouraging. 200 back less encouraging. I don’t know. Maybe she was tired for her 4th 200-meter race of the day. Or simply her backstroke is not at a good level yet.

bobo gigi
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

Hosszu scratched.

Yozhik
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

Where is Hosszu?

bobo gigi
Reply to  Yozhik
6 years ago

She swam the 50 back. 5th in 28.65.
She’s going to swim the 200 IM final in a few minutes.

bobo gigi
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

And she won the 200 IM in 2.11.30.

AWSI DOOGER
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

The Olympic channel announcer was terrible. He didn’t seem to know that Hosszu and Tusup have split, and he said that Taylor Ruck was placed “between the two favorites” in the 200 backstroke.

I was hoping he was in charge of the betting lines.

Tom
6 years ago

FRANKLIN Missy FRANKLIN USA ATHENS BULLDOGS 02:13.14 +0.72

bobo gigi
6 years ago

Men’s 50 free
1. Fratus 21.85
2. Andrew 21.92

bear drinks beer
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

Why do people downvote this?

bobo gigi
Reply to  bear drinks beer
6 years ago

Mix of my usual fans on swimswam plus Andrew fans who don’t like to see him lose that race.

Sir Swimsalot
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

Not a very even mix right now.

SVIRD
Reply to  Sir Swimsalot
6 years ago

I’m honestly starting to think that somebody has written some sort of script to game swimswam’s voting system to downvote every Bobo post a bunch. Even his most non controversial comments get downvoted to hell.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  SVIRD
6 years ago

Fancy Bears. Bobo was #3 on their list behind the DNC and WADA.

bobo gigi
6 years ago

Looks like there’s no TV live broadcast this year. I used to watch those Mare Nostrum meets on Bein Sports. Football everywhere. Sorry. I should say soccer.

bobo gigi
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

I already have a football/soccer indigestion….

Pmpolo
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

Soccer will do that to you

Taa
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

Olympic channel has day 2 on it

bobo gigi
Reply to  Taa
6 years ago

No olympic channel here in France. 🙂

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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