LONDON — The record is out. Looks like Missy Franklin will have to settle on being the best backstroker on the planet at 17 years old.
The senior-to-be at Regis Jesuit High School finished fifth in a loaded 100-meter freestyle in which she was a darkhorse here Thursday. However, in an earlier prelim and semifinal, she set herself up nicely for her specialty, the 200-meter backstroke, in which she has the best time in the world. The final is Friday night.
Of all of Franklin’s skills and accomplishments — she already has two golds and a bronze — the 200 backstroke is her race. Her 2:06.12 at the Olympic Trials topped her previous best in the world and her 2:05.10 in winning last year’s world championship is the third best all-time.
“You know what? I have a lot of confidence in it,” the Centennial resident said. “It’s my favorite race. I have so much fun with it, and that’s the most important part of it. I love the fact that it’s my only event (Friday) and I think that’s going to help a lot.”
Her teammate won’t make it easy. Elizabeth Beisel, whom Franklin beat in the Trials, qualified first in a personal-best 2:06.18, the world’s second best time. Franklin easily won her semifinal in 2:06.84.
Franklin already has a gold in the 100-meter backstroke. She won’t get Natalie Coughlin’s women’s record of six medals in one Olympiad but bookend backstroke golds could look good on her wall.
“I’m really happy with both of them,” Franklin said of her prelim and semifinal swims. “My backstroke felt really good. It felt awesome. I get to take the morning off. I think it’s awesome I can rest up and have my favorite race alone on its own day.”
Then again, so will Beisel. She was fifth at both the Beijing Olympics and last year’s World Championships but her semifinal time makes her a legitimate threat to win gold. Another contender is Russia’s Anastasia Zueva, who boasts the world’s third best time.
In the 100 freestyle, Franklin couldn’t make up for a lousy start. She went up against the Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo, who had the fastest time in the world; Belarus’ Aliaksandra Herasimenia, the defending world champion; and China’s Tang Yi, who swam a 53.28 in Wednesday’s prelims for the world’s second fastest time.
It’s not the kind of field to make the turn last and earn a medal. Franklin made up some ground and her 53.64 was just off her season best of 53.52 but wasn’t enough for a medal.. Kromowidjojo won gold in an Olympic-record 53.00, Herasimenia took silver in 53.38 and Tang took bronze in 53.44.
“I was just a little bit off my best time and I gave it everything I had so I’m really happy,” Franklin said.
It was also Franklin’s 13th race in six days. She was asked if fatigue had finally set in.
“I’m only 17,” she said. “There’s no such thing as fatigue.”
