LONDON — Missy Franklin, the little girl who put Olympic rings on her bedroom wall before running across the street to Centennial’s Heritage Greens pool, never talked about it.
Oh, she talked about Olympic Games and Olympic medals, of new friends and new experiences. But setting world records? No. Too abstract.
Well, Friday night, Franklin’s Olympic dreamland found a new property. She went beyond the call of duty of winning the 200-meter backstroke as a heavy favorite. She went out and shattered the world record. Her 2:04.06 was nearly a second faster than the 3-year-old mark of 2:04.81 set by Zim-babwe’s Kirsty Coventry. Franklin is not only the fastest 200 backstroker in the world, she’s the fastest who ever lived.
Then she had a confession. Maybe she didn’t talk about a world record, but she dreamed of one.
“It means so, so much to me,” Franklin said. “I think every young swimmer and athlete dreams of getting a world record, and for that to actually happen is unbelievable. I remember when I broke my first one in the 200-meter short course, Michael (Phelps), he was there with me, and he said, ‘You know, your first one is your best.’
“I was like, ‘Oh, don’t tell me that!’ But I think this one gave it a run for its money.”
Franklin’s Olympics is becoming one for the ages. She’s won three gold medals and four overall. She swept the two backstroke events and her 400-meter medley relay team should be favored for gold Saturday.
Franklin could well return to Regis Jesuit High as a senior with four gold medals and a bronze, not necessarily around her neck but around her legacy. Sweeping the backstroke wasn’t surprising. She had the world’s best times coming into the meet.
But no one discussed Franklin and world records. Not now. Not at age 17.
“It was always just about splitting for a best time,” Franklin said. “It’s just, how can we be faster? How can we can make ourselves better, not how can we be the fastest in the world.”
Turns out, she was inspired by watching television. She saw an AT&T ad that has stuck with her through this first week.
“It had someone watching a race and right there her time went up, her gold time, (it said), ‘This is the new possible,’ ” she said.
Of all the swims in this Olympics, this one had as little suspense as any. Franklin, who worked to improve her starts for six weeks before London, got off to a blazing start and led wire to wire.
Already the American record holder, she had half a body length’s lead after 50 meters, nearly a second-and-a-half lead on silver medalist Anastasia Zueva of Russia at the 100 mark and stretched it to two seconds with 50 left.
“She really had to be aggressive and build the first 50 and attack her walls,” said Todd Schmitz, her personal coach. “We have focused on her third 50 and staying tough.”
Franklin’s 2:04.06 was well ahead of Zueva’s 2:05.92. American Elizabeth Beisel was third in 2:06.55. After the race, Beisel leaned over the lane rope and hugged Franklin as if she’d never let go.
“Missy, right now in backstroke, is unbeatable,” Beisel said.
Franklin’s last race is Saturday at 1 p.m. MDT. Her 400-medley relay teammates qualified fourth behind Australia, Japan and Denmark. But Franklin and Rebecca Soni, who swept the two breaststroke events and with Franklin led the U.S. to the world championship last summer, didn’t swim in the semifinals.
On the podium stand, as she held up her medal with Zueva and Beisel, Franklin looked into the TV camera and tried pushing her smile farther for the world to see. She couldn’t do it. Over the last seven days it is a smile that has crossed miles.
And Friday night, as her golden Olympics nears an end, it’s a smile that has stretched through history.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299, jhenderson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnhendersondp
