Missy Franklin on Smith WR: ‘One of the Most Amazing Swims I’ve Ever Seen’

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Seventeen-year-old Regan Smith took down Missy Franklin‘s last remaining world record in the books Friday night at the 2019 FINA World Championships, and the recently-retired Franklin immediately took to Instagram to congratulate her.

She posted the following to her story:

Franklin followed it up with a full post.

“Well dear friend, we had a great run. Seven years and I couldn’t be more honored two have my 200 back World Record broken by @regansmith4, one of the sweetest and hard-working athletes I’ve ever known.”

The USA’s teenage phenom Smith broke the world junior record in prelims, but tonight in semis went straight for the big one. Smith knocked almost three seconds off her lifetime best, going 2:03.35. That took down Franklin’s former mark of 2:04.06 from her Olympic performance in 2012, making Smith the first woman to ever break 2:04. She touched the wall in her heat over three seconds ahead of Canada’s 100 back champion Kylie Masse (2:06.57).

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JimSwim22
4 years ago

I’m glad Regan finally got the 17-18 National Age Group record. Now she gets a patch for the sleeve of her team jacket

Ouch
4 years ago

Who’s cutting onions in this thread?

Mike McCormack
Reply to  Ouch
4 years ago

Beautiful, just beautiful. I am proud of American swimmers. They exude humility and reverence for themselves, one another, for the sweetest and best sport of our world, and most (and finest, as we are proving with these comments), for those who follow it. I wept hardest hearing Simone say that she wasn’t done giving to the sport. What a perfect exposition. What a great day. What a fabulous discipline!!

Swim4
4 years ago

Is it weird to have a lump in my throat after reading her post?

Roch
4 years ago

I’m not crying, you’re crying!

Carly
4 years ago

Wow, I didn’t expect to be so touched by that. Bravo, Missy! Class act all the way.

The Ready Room
4 years ago

Nothing but class and she really has a way with words.

hzmusicstand
4 years ago

Missy is such an amazing person and we all know she was jumping up and down cheering for Regan Smith and that image makes me smile

Philip Johnson
4 years ago

Class act, love Missy.

About Torrey Hart

Torrey Hart

Torrey is from Oakland, CA, and majored in media studies and American studies at Claremont McKenna College, where she swam distance freestyle for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Outside of SwimSwam, she has bylines at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and The Student Life newspaper.

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