2014 Arena Grand Prix at Santa Clara
Women’s 100 Backstroke – FINALS
Despite battling the sun, Missy Franklin won the women’s 100 backstroke dipping under 1:01 with a time of 1:00.99. Missy always looks good in the water, but she seems to be a bit sluggish; she looks tired in the water. It’s hard to critique her swims because of her incredible technique, but it didn’t have that same energy that we are used to seeing from her in the water. Amy Bilquist, 16, is having the meet of her life. This is the first time she has performed like this on this big of a stage. She has been a strong junior national competitior, but this is the first time she has held her own against a large portion of the national team in a variety of events. She finished second with a time of 1:01.44. Liz Pelton finished third at 1:01.48, and Dominique Bouchard was fourth with a time of 1:01.78.
Bilquist’s 15 year old teammate, Claire Adams, won the B final of the women’s 100 backstroke with a 1:01.59. That time would have been fourth in the A final.
