4-time London Olympic gold medalist, Missy Franklin, will swim eight events at the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain: 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 4×100 freestyle relay, 4×100 medley relay and the 4×200 freestyle relay.
Missy Franklin Flag Toes
Franklin’s 100 free at US World Trials, 53.43, was a personal best time and a great swim, but she’s far from being the favorite in the event at FINA Worlds. Australia’s Cate Campbell should take the gold. Franklin’s backstroke, with teammate Liz Pelton, promises to be the star-turn. Franklin swam a 2:05.6 at US World Trials on the heels of her 200 free win in 1:55, a leg-crushing double for one session. Pelton, who Franklin will join this fall at UC Berkeley, followed up with a 2:06 to make the US Worlds Team. Both will challenge in the 100 back at FINA Worlds as well. With Pelton’s 1:47.84 200 yard back NCAA win (and US Open Record) last spring, college swimming fans are already buzzing about a backstroke dynasty.
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Franklin’s 100 free at US World Trials, 53.43, was a personal best time and a great swim, but she’s far from being the favorite in the event at FINA Worlds. Australia’s Cate Campbell should take the gold. Franklin’s backstroke, with teammate Liz Pelton, promises to be the star-turn. Franklin swam a 2:05.6 at US World Trials on the heels of her 200 free win in 1:55, a leg-crushing double for one session. Pelton, who Franklin will join this fall at UC Berkeley, followed up with a 2:06 to make the US Worlds Team
If Missy was not confident in her freestyle last year and still with those really good results, she will be scary good in her free in barcelona. She might even cause an upset either in 100 or 200.
If Missy wins the 100 free, it’s a huge upset. She’s not a specialist and she’s much less fresh as her major rivals. She swims this race only on her massive natural talent. She can win a bronze medal, the schedule is much better for her this year.
Not the same thing in the 200 free. If she wins this race, it’s not an upset. Missy is almost the favorite to win. No Allison Schmitt means an open race. In my predictions I still give a slight advantage to Camille Muffat but I know very well Missy will be hard to beat.
I agree with Bobo about Missy’s prospects in 100m and 200m free. Missy is not too small to fill Schmitt’s boots.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Missy wins 200m free. On the other hand, I’m a huge fan of Muffat’s freestyle technique and I want her to get at least one victory. Muffat is a synonym for the beauty of swimming.
I agree about Camille’s technique. It’s beautiful to watch. I’m not a swimming expert but I think you must be very powerful to swim like that, to take so much water on each arm movement. Generally in sport, everything which looks smooth is fast. My 2 favorite track athletes on the women’s side Allyson Felix and Tirunesh Dibaba give this impression too.
To also swim smooth (and still FAST) you have to have huge talent. Just remember all the freestyler greats with smooth technique: Popov, Thorpe, Muffat.
You mentioned the examples of track athletes, and I will add a tennis player who I think is so sublime: Roger Federer. The way he plays tennis (in his peak) is so effortless.
One of the famous negative-split swims by Muffat in 2012. She is like playing with her competitors in a morning warm-up. It’s so pleasing the eyes. Then, look at what happens when she steps on the gas after the 200m mark:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKTLsg8ZFxQ
I love how the increase in effort barely shows in her stroke but she just disappears into the distance. Poetry in motion.
As much as I am on the Missy bandwagon along with a majority of American fans, like Bobo I’d be quite shocked if she snagged gold in the 100 final next Friday over Cate (or Ranomi)…not that I’d complain at all about such a result LOL Upgrading 2 spots from London to a bronze would be a more realistic scenario I’d imagine, and a pleasing stepping stone to Rio in my view.
Missy’s starts in both free finals @ Indy trials had actually shown some bullish confidence & improvements, unlike in her backs where she’ll need to continue working at to avoid a catch up situation in the first 50m (not that it’d make that big of a difference in… Read more »
Missy has some incredible physical gifts, but balance outside of the pool seems to serve her well as well. She had tons of post-Olympic appearances this year, combined with training, college recruiting, racing, and the stuff that comes with being a high school senior. She seems to be one of those rare people who not only seeks out, but “needs” a full schedule to thrive. You gotta wonder how she’ll do when she finishes college and “just” has training, racing, and promotional appearances?
Spot on observation there about Missy thriving on a full schedule!
Both she and Todd don’t appear to be intimidated at all by the triple next Thurs. As a matter of fact, seem to be almost looking forward to it…
From that denverpost writeup which EMILYR provided a link to earlier:
“The best thing about it is Missy did the double in the Olympics 12 minutes apart,” Schmitz said. “In between the 50 back final and the 800 relay start is 25 minutes. In a perfect world, she anchors the relay. Then she’ll have almost 30 minutes, and it’s a 50 back.”
“It’s like a little baby warm-up,” Franklin said.
Also:
“Her mind-set was different this year,” Schmitz… Read more »
Missy’s championships will be owesome . She will be hard to beat in both backtroke races and will be a huge factor in the relays for the battles with the Aussies .
Is it just me or does Coach Todd Schmitz sound like the 2nd coming of Doc Councilman?! Kudos to a truly great team, swimmer(s), and coach!
…he certainly handled the post Olympic year well w/Missy. Not an easy hump to get over after an incredible London Olympics…
I think this year will be a cake walk for Todd compared to next year. Will he be ok with being just a great club coach…or will all this international experience pull him away from Stars to a college team. I imagine it has to be tough for anyone. Chuck Batchelor is probably the last one to have gone through it