Women’s 200 Freestyle – FINALS – 2013 FINA World Championships reported by swimswam / Braden Keith:
Missy Franklin has been nothing but golden at this meet. Though she scratched the 50 backstroke semifinal, her most vulnerable event, she is now three-for-three in finals with gold medals, swimming a 1:54.81 for victory in the women’s 200 free. This one was the best of the group, however, as it was her first lifetime best of the meet so far. That means she broke a full second off of her 17-18 National Age Group Record set at the Olympics last year.
Italy’s Federica Pellegrini once again had a big closing kick, about what we saw from her in the semi-finals, and found herself back on the podium in 1:55.14. She was unable to repeat her gold medal from 2011, but after the year she had in 2012, that silver medal will feel really good around her neck.
France’s Camille Muffat, the Olympic Champion, took bronze in 1:55.72, and Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom was 4th in 1:56.63.
Spain’s Melanie Costa-Schmid was 5th in 1;57.04, missing her Spanish Record from the semi’s, and the top 8 were rounded out by Australia’s Kylie Palmer (1:57.14), American Shannon Vreeland(1:57.41), and the second Frenchwoman Charlotte Bonnet (1:57.56).
With this win, Missy has confirmed a new statute in swimming- freestyle gold medalist. As impressive as American women have been on the international scene, we have very rarely had an athlete with individual gold in different strokes. I don’t know if she will win the 100 free but right now, Missy’s dominance in the 100/200 back and 200 free + relays have escalated her into a dimension of swimming that we haven’t seen since Phelps. She is the best female swimmer on the planet and pending her future, could be one of the best ever. Congrats!
Id like to se her do the 400 free!!!!!! if the olypmic program is still the same in RIO isnt the 400 free relay on day 1 and the 400 free indvidual on day 2????? But with ledeckys newfound speed and endurance plus when schmit gets back its going to be a dog fight
Franklin could have won the 200 free in 2011 with her relay lead-off, so technically the win isn’t that surprising.