Happy Birthday, Missy!

As of today, Missy Franklin is no longer the 16-year old phenom, she’s the 17-year old phenom.

This is somewhat biter-sweet as a swimming fan. As she gets older, stronger, and faster, it’s incredible to think about what she can accomplish. But at the same time, the telling your land-locked friends about the World Record holding 16-year old is more impactful than a World Record holding 17-year old.

This next year will be the biggest of Missy’s career so far, if not ever. There have already been huge expectations dumped upon her for 5 or more medals in London; her resolve to turn down hundreds-of-thousands (millions?) of dollars to swim in college will be tested massively; and if she holds strong, then she will undergo the most fever-pitched recruitment that we’ve ever seen when looking to select a college (others have been as big, but not in an era where recruiting is so heavily and easily followed). On top of that, it will be her senior year of high school.

Now that she has a whole new set of National Age Group Records to go after, though her sights are set on larger records, she will leave the 15-16’s behind with 5 official marks, all in long course. Incidentally, four of those 5 (100 free, 200 free, 100 back, 200 back) are already faster than the 17-18 National Age Group Records. The lone race that isn’t is the 50 free, where she’ll have to chase Kara Lynn Joyce’s 25.00.

Happy Birthday Missy!