[SIZE="3"][FONT="Times New Roman"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Very deserved award for Missy Franklin and her former coach Schmitz:[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE]
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[COLOR="DimGray"]December 23, 2013| Craig Lord[/COLOR] [SIZE="3"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]SwimVortex Awards: Top Hat To Missy Franklin, Todd Schmitz[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]Outstanding achievement: Missy Franklin and coach Todd Schmitz (new coach Teri McKeever in the background in Barcelona) - images by Patrick B. Kraemer and Craig Lord[/SIZE]
[FONT="Times New Roman"][SIZE="3"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"] More recognition for Missy! (Swimswam article below):[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Red"]10 Legends in Progress to Follow in 2014[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[U]WOMEN[/U] (again in no order)
Missy Franklin
Missy Franklin has also achieved much in a short career, already owning a pair of individual Olympic titles and four individual world titles. She's arguably the favorite to finish her career as the women's leader in both; she will have ample opportunities to get the four more Olympic golds required to hold the record outright. Franklin may be the most dominant swimmer in an event today. Who else could add over half a second to a personal best time and still win a world title by two seconds? She is by far and away the best in the 200 back, which is actually quite reminiscent of the very person Franklin is chasing in Olympic medal haul. Krisztina Egerszegi won five individual Olympic golds and has the legacy to beat in the women's 200 backstroke: the second ever three-peat, culminated by a four second margin of victory in Atlanta 1996. Missy has the potential to come close in 2016 and 2020, but only time can tell if she will take her 200 back to an even greater height.
'The Current,' featuring Mallory Weggemann and Missy Franklin, Set For Film Festival Debut "A little less than a year after traveling to the Caribbean Sea to film the documentary "The Current," Paralympian Mallory Weggemann and Olympian Missy Franklin will have the opportunity to see themselves on the big screen at the February 16 world premiere at the Boulder International Film Festival.
Weggemann and Franklin are scheduled to attend the premiere, which will also feature director Kurt Miller. The film highlights the abilities of disabled athletes such as Weggemann using water-based sports to find freedom in movement and persevering through the limitations imposed on their disabilities.
Weggemann and Franklin traveled to Bimini and the Bahamas in March 2013, where Miller filmed them scuba diving with dolphins. Franklin's participation with the film is as ambassador for the Make-A-Hero campaign.
[COLOR="DimGray"][SIZE="1"]Mallory Weggemann and Missy Franklin train together in an oceanside pool in the Bahamas. Courtesy: Jeremy Snyder/TheFactoryAgency[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Mallory Weggemann; Missy Franklin to Attend Premiere of "The Current" Documentary in Boulder on Sunday
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Franklin and Weggemann will both be in attendance for the premier on Sunday. Franklin will fly out on Saturday after the team's dual meet with arch-rivals Stanford.
[COLOR="DimGray"]OLYMPICS[/COLOR] [SIZE="3"][COLOR="Navy"]Missy Franklin following Mikaela Shiffrin while swimming for Cal Bears[/COLOR][/SIZE]
By Nick Kosmider The Denver Post [COLOR="DimGray"]Posted: 02/08/2014 12:01:00 AM MS[/COLOR]
[COLOR="DimGray"][SIZE="1"]University of California freshman swimmer Missy Franklin smiles during a news conference in this Aug. 28, 2013, file photo in Berkeley, Calif. (Ben Margot, The Associated Press)[/SIZE][/COLOR]
In most ways, Missy Franklin is eager to watch any amount of the Sochi Winter Olympics that her unrelenting schedule will allow. And she knows at least one athlete for whom she will be rooting.
"Mikaela Shiffrin and I have tweeted at each other a couple times," Franklin said of Colorado's alpine skiing star and fellow Olympic teenager. "So I can't wait to see how she does. I know she'll have a blast."
Franklin admits she isn't as excited, though, about what happens once the lights go out in Sochi. That's when the Olympic spotlight will quickly turn to Rio de Janeiro and the 2016 Summer Games.
"And I'm not ready for that," Franklin said in a recent phone interview with The Denver Post, her words accompanied by her typical exuberant laugh. "I absolutely love where I am right now. I'm so focused on the short term and focusing on what I need to be focusing on right now."
For Franklin, now 18 months removed from swimming her way to five medals (four gold, one bronze) at the 2012 London Olympics, that means heading down the back stretch of a freshman year at the University of California that has been challenging, eye-opening and ultimately, the former Regis Jesuit star said, "everything I could have hoped for."
As she became a worldwide sensation for her spectacular performances in London, Franklin turned down becoming a professional athlete and collecting potentially millions of dollars in endorsements.
But college had always been in Franklin's plans, and as top-ranked Cal eyes a national championship, the 18-year-old insists her love for swimming is at an all-time high.
"It's been really hard. Academics have been kicking my butt, as well as swimming," Franklin said. "It's a lot of time and a lot of hard work, but it's never been this much fun or this worthwhile especially being part of a team like this. It truly is incredible."
Mallory Weggemann; Missy Franklin to Attend Premiere of "The Current" Documentary in Boulder on Sunday
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[SIZE="3"]Olympian Missy Franklin talks with audience after BIFF's "The Current" premiere[/SIZE]
[COLOR="DimGray"][SIZE="1"]Paralympic swimmer, Mallory Weggemann, left, and Olympic gold medalist, Missy Franklin, get a kick out of a question asked by a young girl. The girl wanted to know what it was like swimming with dolphins and sharks. (Cliff Grassmick)[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[SIZE="3"]Missy Franklin, Mallory Weggemann Participate in Q&A After World Premiere of "The Current"[/SIZE] [COLOR="DimGray"][SIZE="1"]Courtesy of: Joan Marc Bosch[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[SIZE="3"]Missy Franklin and Mallory Weggemann Discuss The Current World Premiere[/SIZE]
[COLOR="DimGray"][SIZE="1"]The documentary film features Mallory Weggemann, Missy Franklin, Anthony Robles, Grant Korgan, Leo Morales, Jesse Murphree and David Hosick. (Video is courtesy Jeremy Snyder, The Factory Agency.) Current Photo via The Factory Agency [/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="DimGray"][SIZE="1"]Franklin made her college decision after winning four gold medals and one bronze medal in London. [/SIZE][/COLOR]
[SIZE="4"]From gold medalist to Golden Bear[/SIZE] [SIZE="3"]Olympian Missy Franklin finds her home among the Cal greats[/SIZE] Abby Hill | NCAA.com [COLOR="DimGray"]Last Updated - Feb 25, 2014 11:36 EST [/COLOR]
Olympian Missy Franklin had the world at her feet following the London 2012 Olympics.
Her first order of business? Working on a degree.
Franklin ultimately chose Cal, but for reasons one would not expect.
The Golden Bear swim program has been home to some of America's greatest swimmers from Dana Vollmer to Natalie Coughlin. However it was Cal's strong bond of team and its coach Teri McKeever, Franklin's coach on the national and Olympic teams, which pulled Franklin to Berkeley.
"Choosing Cal had a lot of different factors," Franklin said. "Because I swam with the national team I was exposed to a lot of collegiate coaches, a very unique experience compare to other NCAA athletes. And there was always something about Teri's group. I was so jealous of them. She is hard to explain. With her the team is about so much more than swimming, she wants to teach us lessons that extend to our families and first jobs. She sees the big picture, knows swimming leads to so much more."
McKeever prides her program on building strong women, not just strong swimmers.
"I wanted to be a teacher, and that is what I am," McKeever said. "My classroom is a pool. For me, sports were a place I learned who I was. I had to accept my shortcomings and play to my strengths. These women are young and I enjoy walking alongside them while they walk this path. I do not want to direct them; I want to walk alongside them."
The 2014 season marks McKeever's 22nd year at Cal. While there, she has built a program with three national titles and many Pac-12 titles and records.
"I feel no pressure, because I built this legacy in my 22 years at Cal," McKeever said. "I am proud that we have a legacy of women who represent themselves well everywhere, with each other and at every event."
The legacy of strong women was one of the factors that attracted Franklin to Cal.
"I did not look at the successful athletes that came from certain programs, because success can be measured so differently," Franklin said. "I looked at individuals that I wanted to be like. Everyone has a certain place where they will do well, I picked mine."
Another Olympian and Cal swimmer was drawn to Cal because of the strong female legacy.
Rachel Bootsma (left) was on the national team with Franklin during the London Games. Currently, Bootsma is in her sophomore year at Cal.
"From a young age I wanted to attend Cal," Bootsma said. "I idolized Natalie [Coughlin] and looked up to Teri. I also grew up with a strong female mindset and I knew I wanted to swim for a female coach whether it be the head or the assistant, and [at Cal] we have both. I was raised knowing anything males can do, females can too."
And when Bootsma arrived in Berkeley, it all fell into place.
As a freshman, Bootsma became an NCAA champion, winning the 100-yard backstroke.
"To win it felt so incredible," Bootsma said. "I have competed in a lot of big-time meets, but I have never been at something like the NCAAs."
And it is starting to click for Franklin too.
"[College] is absolutely everything I expected and more," Franklin explained. "I really miss home, and my parents, but my relationship with my teammates is incredible. We are 26 completely different women and together with Teri we have bonded. We all have such a high level of respect for one another."
Both to McKeever and Franklin, respect is the most important quality in a teammate.
McKeever says, "They need to respect themselves, the process, their teammates, the institution and the sport. They need to do what they can to honor it."
To Franklin the team must have respect because without it they could not work together or encourage each other.
"Teri wants us all to learn from each other," Franklin said. "She preaches that everyone has something to offer."
McKeever not only preaches respect for teammates, she practices it as well
"A senior can learn a lot from a freshman, a coach can learn a lot from an athlete," she said. "Learning is ongoing to life, learning never stops, not age specific or gender specific."
Bootsma and Franklin are learning a lot at this point in the season as competition begins to heat up and the NCAA championships get closer.
Next up for Cal is the Pac-12 championship beginning Feb. 26 and concluding March 2.
After conference championships comes the NCAA meet, held in Bootsma's hometown of Minneapolis, Minn.
After everything is said and done, their goal is simple; "My goal this season to be the best we can be at the end of March," Franklin said.
[COLOR="DarkGreen"][SIZE="3"]2014 Laureus World Sports Awards Nominees revealed[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="DimGray"][SIZE="1"]The Nominations have been revealed![/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="DimGray"]February 26, 2014 [/COLOR]
A glittering collection of the world's greatest sports stars have been nominated for the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards, following a ballot by the world's media.
Among the giants of sport who have been nominated are three-time Laureus winners Usain Bolt and Serena Williams, brilliant young Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel, short-listed for the fifth time, and Tiger Woods, who won in 2000, the inaugural year of Laureus, who is selected again after returning to the summit of world golf. Spain's Rafael Nadal and Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva, both two-time Laureus winners, are nominated in two categories.
Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses said: "I have never seen such a potentially close contest in so many categories before. This is going to be a classic year. There is a wonderful balance between some of the great names who have dominated sport over many years and some exciting newcomers like Missy Franklin and Marc Mrquez. I am especially thrilled by the line-up for the Disability Award, where you could make a case for any of the six to win. This is really the crme de la crme of sport and it is going to be an exciting night in Kuala Lumpur discovering which of these great athletes will receive Laureus Awards."
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[U]Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year[/U]
Nadine Angerer (Germany) Football FIFA Women's Player of the Year, captain of German team
[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Missy Franklin (US) Swimming[/COLOR] at 18, won a record six gold medals in World Championships
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) Athletics won three sprint gold medals in World Championships
Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) Athletics won pole vault world title in front of home Russian crowd
Tina Maze (Slovenia) Skiing won Overall World Cup and three other disciplines, plus Super G world title
Serena Williams (US) Tennis won French Open and US Open, plus eight other tournaments in 2013
([COLOR="DimGray"]above image copyrighted to the Laureus World Sports Awards[/COLOR])
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[COLOR="DimGray"][SIZE="1"]Missy Franklin Courtesy: GoldenBearSports.com[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="Sienna"][SIZE="3"]Franklin Nominated for Laureus World Sports Award[/SIZE] [/COLOR] [COLOR="DimGray"]Courtesy: Cal Athletics Release: Wednesday 02/26/2014[/COLOR]
[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Navy"]Missy Franklin Earns World Sportswoman of the Year Nomination for Laureus Awards[/COLOR][/SIZE] [COLOR="DimGray"]Published: February 26, 2014[/COLOR]
[COLOR="DimGray"][SIZE="1"]Courtesy of: Joao Marc Bosch[/SIZE][/COLOR]
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, February 26. MISSY Franklin will represent aquatic sports next month at the prestigious Laureus Sports Awards, nominated in the Sportswoman of the Year category. Three swimmers will compete for the World Sportsperson of the Year With a Disability award after strong performances at last year's world championships.
This is the second consecutive year that Franklin has been nominated for this award, dubbed "The Oscars of Sports Awards." She lost last year to British track star Jessica Ennis, the Olympic champion in the heptathlon. Franklin's accomplishments at the FINA world championships last summer helped her gain this nomination, as she won six gold medals in six events in Barcelona. That made her the most successful female swimmer at a single world championships and continued to raise her profile around the world.
Franklin faces tough competition for the award. German soccer player Nadine Angerer, Jamaican track star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia, Slovenian skier Tina Maze and American tennis ace Serena Williams are also nominees for Sportswoman of the Year. Williams and Fraser-Pryce were also nominees in 2012; Isinbayeva was last nominated in 2005.
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Winners will be announced at a lavish ceremony on [U]March 26[/U]. Franklin is likely to attend, as the event comes a few days after her debut at the NCAA championships.
View the announcement event in the video player below:
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[COLOR="Sienna"][SIZE="3"]Swimming: Franklin up for sportswoman of year[/SIZE][/COLOR] By Jeff Faraudo [COLOR="DimGray"]Wednesday, February 26th, 2014 at 9:23 am[/COLOR]
Missy Franklin [COLOR="SlateGray"]5m[/COLOR] So happy to be nominated for an award at [COLOR="DarkRed"]#LWSA14[/COLOR] ���� Follow [COLOR="DarkRed"]@LaureusSport[/COLOR] for all the news and to see results on March 26! [COLOR="DarkRed"]#honored[/COLOR]
[COLOR="DarkGreen"][SIZE="3"]Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year 2014: The Analysis[/SIZE][/COLOR]
MISSY FRANKLIN (United States) Swimming [COLOR="DimGray"][SIZE="1"]Missy Franklin[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="DimGray"]March 8, 2014 [/COLOR]
American teenager Missy Franklin was the sensation of the World Championships in Barcelona, becoming the first woman in history to win six gold medals at a single World Championships three individual and three relay - at the age of just 18.
This followed her performance in the London Olympics where she won four gold medals. She currently holds the world record for 200 metres backstroke. She continues to refuse prize money and endorsements so that she can maintain her amateur status in college.
[SIZE="1"]Missy Franklin, with her 2014 Pac-12 Swimmer of the Meet Award Courtesy: Cal Athletics[/SIZE]
[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Navy"]Missy Franklin Named National Swimmer of the Week[/COLOR][/SIZE] [COLOR="DimGray"]Courtesy: Cal Athletics Release: Wednesday 03/05/2014 [/COLOR]
BERKELEY - Cal freshman [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Missy Franklin[/COLOR], who was named the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Meet after leading the Golden Bears to the conference championship last weekend, has added another honor for her performance National Swimmer of the Week by collegeswimming.com.
At the Pac-12 meet, Franklin won all three of her individual events in meet-record times 100 free (47.17), 200 free (1:42.29) and 500 free (4:35.73). In addition, she helped Cal to victories in the 400 and 800 free relay and the 400 medley relay, and to a runner-up finish in the 200 medley relay.
Franklin was also chosen the National Swimmer of the Week earlier this season when she was the high-point scorer at AT&T Winter Nationals in December.
Franklin and the rest of her Cal teammates will next be in action at the NCAA Championships March 20-22 in Minneapolis.
[COLOR="DarkRed"]College News[/COLOR] [SIZE="3"]Missy Franklin, Pavel Sankovich Named National Swimmers of the Week[/SIZE] [SIZE="1"]Published:March 5, 2014[/SIZE]
[SIZE="1"]Courtesy of: Joan Marc Bosch[/SIZE]
CARTHAGE, Wisconsin, March 5. WITH NCAA Division II and III both dealing with NCAA selections in the past week, CollegeSwimming.com only awarded National Swimmer of the Week awards to Division I athletes this week. It wound up being a pretty easy selection with California's Missy Franklin and Florida State's Pavel Sankovich running roughshod at their conference meets.
Special thanks to CollegeSwimming.com for the following award snippets:
Division I Women Congratulations to Pac-12 Most Valuable Swimmer of the Championship and Philip Hunsaker CollegeSwimming.com Women's Division I Swimmer of the Week, Missy Franklin (Centennial, Co). Missy won three individual events, two in meet record times, while also contributing to the winning 400 medley, 400 free and 800 free relays, and the 200 medley relay which won silver. Franklin won the 500 free in a time of 4:35.73, the 200 free in a meet record 1:42.29, and the 100 free in a meet record 47.17.
Division I Men Winning the Philip Hunsaker CollegeSwimming.com Men's Division I Swimmer of the Week is Florida State University's Pavel Sankovich. The senior from Hronda, Belarus won the 200 IM (1:41.92), 100 fly (45.12) and 100 back (45.83) races while helping the Noles to gold in the 400 medley relay (45.31 backstroke leadoff) and silver in the 400 free and 200 medley relays (21.05 backstroke leadoff). Every race except the 400 free and 200 medley relays was a new ACC meet, Conference and FSU record. Congratulations as this is also the second consecutive year he has won the most valuable swimmer in the ACC.
[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Blue"]Cal's Franklin, USC's Ishimatsu named Pac-12 women's swimmer and diver of the month[/COLOR][/SIZE]
By [COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]Pac-12 Conference[/COLOR] [COLOR="DimGray"]Mar 10, 2014[/COLOR]
[COLOR="DimGray"]Chuckarelei Studios[/COLOR]
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. CALIFORNIA freshman Missy Franklin was named Pac-12 Women's Swimmer of the Month and USC junior Haley Ishimatsu was named Diver of the Month for the month of the February, the Conference office announced Monday.
Franklin, a Centennial, Colo. native, collected a total of six titles at the 2014 Pac-12 Women's Swimming and Men's and Women's Diving Championships in Federal Way, Wash. Feb. 26-March 1, earning three individual titles in addition to three team relay championships. Franklin set Pac-12 meet records in the 100 freestyle (47.17), 200 freestyle (1:42.29) and 500 freestyle (4:35.73) en route to winning those three events in her Pac-12 Championships debut. As a member of three Bears' relay teams, Franklin and her counterparts took first in the 800 freestyle, 400 medley, and 400 freestyle relays. With Cal trailing Arizona heading into leg four of the 400 free relay, Franklin swam the anchor and pulled the Bears ahead in the last 50 yards to secure the third relay victory on the week. Franklin earned the most titles of any swimmer at the Championships and was honored as the Women's Swimmer of the Meet.
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This is the second-career Swimmer of the Month honor for Franklin and the 12th overall for California, the most of any Pac-12 school since the award's inception.
[SIZE="1"]Missy Franklin Courtesy: Skip Stubbs[/SIZE]
[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Orange"]Missy Franklin Chosen Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month[/COLOR][/SIZE] [COLOR="DimGray"]Courtesy: Cal Athletics Release: Monday 03/10/2014 [/COLOR]
BERKELEY Cal freshman [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Missy Franklin[/COLOR], who was named Pac-12 Swimmer of the Meet after leading the Golden Bears to the title 10 days ago, has been selected as the conference Swimmer of the Month for February, the second time this year she has earned the honor.
During the Pac-12 Championships Feb. 26-March 1, Franklin set meet records in winning all three of her individual events 100 free (47.17), 200 free (1:42.29) and 500 free (4:35.73). She also helped Cal to victories in the 400 and 800 free relay and 400 medley relay, as well as a runner-up finish in the 200 medley relay.
Earlier this season, Franklin was tabbed the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month for December after she was the high-point scorer at AT&T Winter Nationals and established school records in the 200 and 500 free.
Cal swimmers have now won monthly conference recognition 12 times, more than any Pac-12 school since the award's inception. The Bears will next compete at the NCAA Championships March 20-22 in Minneapolis.
[U]Team Champs[/U]: California men and women Men's Swimmer of the Meet: Kevin Cordes, Arizona Men's Diver of the Meet: Kristian Ipsen, Stanford [U]Women's Swimmer of the Meet[/U]: Missy Franklin, California Women's Diver of the Meet: Haley Ishimatsu, USC
Featuring breathtaking underwater landscapes, this inspirational documentary follows individuals with disabilities as they discover new ways to experience freedom of movement through water sports, including scuba diving, surfing and swimming with dolphins. Participants include renowned "soul surfer" Bethany Hamilton and Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin. Featuring Jean-Michel Cousteau and narrated by his son Fabien, lifelong champions of the healing power of the world's oceans.
Simply complete the form to the right and your FREE 14-day trial starts immediately:
[SIZE="4"][COLOR="Red"]'The Current' documentary featuring Mallory Weggeman to premiere on EPIX tonight[/COLOR][/SIZE] [COLOR="DimGray"]Jared Anderson | March 12th, 2014 [/COLOR]
Paralympian Mallory Weggemann and Olympian Missy Franklin will appear on the documentary "The Current," which premieres tonight on EPIX at 8 PM Eastern time.
The documentary follows athletes with disabilities who have found inspiration and motivation in water sports and activities. Weggemann, a paraplegic world record-holder and international gold medalist, will be featured as one of the main stories in the one-hour inspirational film.
For folks wishing to watch the documentary who don't have the EPIX network on their current cable setup, the documentary can also be found on the EPIX website. Just search for "The Current" and it will pop up. EPIX is currently offering free, one-week trial subscriptions to their content, so fans will be able to check out the documentary as soon as it premiers.
The documentary also features Franklin, the young world swimming icon and world champs gold medalist, as well as professional surfer Bethany Hamilton of "Soul Surfer" fame.
[FONT="Times New Roman"][SIZE="3"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Insightful interview w/Missy published today - have reproduced the interview here (part 2 in the following post), but would recommend you run over to the Swimvortex article linked below to read the whole thing with the editor's commentary etc![/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Congratulations on a wonderful year. How did that compare to Olympic year?[/COLOR] [COLOR="DimGray"][Photo: Missy Franklin, team player, in Barcelona, by Patrick B. Kraemer][/COLOR]
I think it’s hard to compare any year to 2012. Each year is going to be so different. In 2012, one of my biggest dreams came true. It was great to create that experience and then create new dreams, and then set new limits and new goals for myself. What I loved about 2013 was that there really was no pressure. It was a year for me to get out there and see what else I could do after London. I definitely enjoyed the World Championships and accomplished new goals there. It was an awesome experience getting back on the world stage after the Olympic Games.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Did you believe you could do better than London when you went to Barcelona?[/COLOR]
In certain races, yes. I definitely wanted to be better in everything. I was really happy with where my freestyles were. I had said after London that I really wanted to work on my freestyles. My backstrokes weren’t where they were in London. I think every swimmer’s goal is to go a best time at the end of the season. e was happy with my swims overall, but I definitely think there’s still so much there.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: What is the difference in terms of atmosphere between the two events?[/COLOR]
There’s a little more intensity on the Olympic stage. It depends on the person whether or not you let that affect you. I could feel more tension and intensity in London, but I really tried not to let it phase me at all. I tried to think of it as any other meet, and that certainly helped me. Any international stage is like that. At the big meets, everyone is serious; this is where all the work pays off. Barcelona was very similar in that everyone wanted to do well. I think there’s something you want to prove after an Olympic year.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: How did you celebrate your six gold medals in Barcelona?[/COLOR] [COLOR="DimGray"][Photo: All smiles from Missy Franklin, right, and Federica Pellegrini in Barcelona after the 200m free final, by Aniko Kovacs][/COLOR]
I came to school. When the championships finished in Barcelona, I had to leave almost immediately for school, which honestly was a celebration. I was so excited to get to Cal. We went home right after the meet in Barcelona, and I had a couple of last days at home, which were really nice. And then I came to out here to school.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Which of the gold medals was the biggest high for you?[/COLOR]
Each medal means something that is so different. People ask me what my favorite medal was in London, and I just can’t answer that question. I love my bronze medal because it was my first Olympic medal ever. I love my 100 back because it was my first individual gold medal. I love all the relays. It was the same with Barcelona. The sixth gold medal meant a lot to me because that accomplished one of my dreams. But being on the relays and anchoring the 4x200 freestyle relay for the first time was so awesome. That medal also means a lot to me. Winning the 200 freestyle for the first time on an international stage – that medal meant so much to me. Each medal means some something different, and they all mean a lot.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Were there any disappointments - not sure how there can be with six gold medals?[/COLOR]
To be honest, I wouldn’t call them disappointments, but I think there are things I can definitely improve on. I don’t think of those things as disappointments because I’m learning from them. So in the long run, they’re truly helping me out. I don’t see anything that’s helping me grow and helping me become a better swimmer as a disappointment.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Your fellow American Kate Ledecky also had a great meet in Barcelona – how is your relationship: are you rivals, team-mates, friends?[/COLOR] [COLOR="DimGray"][Photo: Patrick B. Kraemer][/COLOR]
Honestly, I don’t have a single rival in the entire sport. I don’t know of any rivals in the sport of swimming. Everyone is so kind, and the people who I’ve gotten to meet and know are incredible. Katie and I are such great friends. We have so much fun together and I’ve enjoyed getting to know her on some of these team trips.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: This is your second Nomination for the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award – how pleased would you be to win it?[/COLOR]
I am honored to be nominated for this Laureus Award and feel that I’m already a winner to have even been considered. There have been so many amazing female performances in sport this year and to even be included on that list is really an honor in itself.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Do you have any superstitions or pre-competition rituals?[/COLOR]
I’m not very superstitious. If I am, they are very small things. If I wear a certain hair tie and I do well in a race, I’ll keep wearing that same hair tie for the rest of the meet. I like routines, though, such as doing the same thing when I get to the pool every day. I like to know what to expect as much as I can in swimming.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Why is a Laureus Award so prestigious – is it because great champions have voted for you, like Mark Spitz, Dawn Fraser, Edwin Moses, Michael Johnson?[/COLOR]
It's always an honor to know that amazing athletes you have respect and admiration for took notice of your performance. When I look at some of the past winners and nominees for the Laureus Awards, it's hard to believe that my name is now on that list, especially now for a second time. That being said, I also have so much respect for the Laureus organization and the mission of “using the power of sport as a tool for social change.” Sports have been such an important part of my life and I understand the positive impact that they can have around the world.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Who was your swimming role model when you were younger?[/COLOR] [COLOR="DimGray"][Photo: Natalie Coughlin, courtesy of Speedo][/COLOR]
Natalie Coughlin, a three-time Olympian with 12 Olympic medals, has been my role model for many years. Besides being an amazing swimmer, she is also a humble woman with an incredible work ethic. And now, I have the opportunity to be at Cal and see Natalie every day because she also trains here on campus. She's been so generous letting me know if I ever need anything. She's been incredibly supportive. Personally, my mom is my inspiration. She had a tough life growing up, but didn't let anything hold her back. She is a physician, and took time off to support and assist me. Mom and I are so close and I trust her and can tell her everything.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: You have now decided you are going to swim for your college for the next few years, how are you enjoying life at Berkeley?[/COLOR]
It's definitely different than back home, but it's been so wonderful. I love my roommate, my coaches and my team. It's been a huge change, but it's been everything I thought it was going to be and more. Being away from Colorado is hard sometimes, but I'm learning to love it, and I've definitely learned a lot about myself.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Are you happy you made that decision? No regrets?[/COLOR]
I have not thought for one second what would have happened if I had made a different decision. Even when times get hard and I miss home, I still know that this is 110% the place for me and where I'm supposed to be. It's been awesome knowing that feeling and having it in my heart this whole time that I made the right decision.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: What are you studying?[/COLOR]
I want to major in psychology with hopefully a minor in education and disability studies.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: What do you say to people who are puzzled that you have turned down endorsements and sponsorship money?[/COLOR]
I completely understand where they're coming from. I was puzzled for a long time, as well, and it was a huge decision for me. The best way I can try to explain it is that I think that swimming in college and being a part of the Cal team had more to offer me at that point in my life than endorsements did. It's not that I don't want endorsements. One day, I would love to be a professional swimmer. For where I am right now, I think I can benefit more as a person and as an athlete swimming in college. So far, that's been more than true.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Have you set targets for Rio de Janeiro in 2016?[/COLOR]
No. Absolutely not. Even in 2015 going into 2016, I'll still be thinking about next week. I like to be in the moment because if I project too far ahead and start setting goals for Rio, then I will overlook goals I should be setting for right now or achieving in the next couple of weeks or next couple of months. Right now, my main focus is on the NCAA Championships (March 20-22) and after that it will be U.S. Nationals and qualifying for the Pan Pacific team this summer and the World Championships team next summer.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Do you find training tough to maintain your high standards or is it fun?[/COLOR]
It's both. Training is very difficult with the amount of time we put in every week and how hard the practices are. One of the reasons I love Cal so much and love (Cal head coach) Teri (McKeever) is that she has a way of making it so much fun. We do a lot of different things, not just swimming back and forth for four hours a day. I have an incredible team, and every athlete will say that when you have incredible people surrounding you, it always make practices easier.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: You are only 18, but you are going to become a role model for a lot of young swimmers, does that get you excited or do you feel responsibility?[/COLOR] [COLOR="DimGray"][Photo: Emily Seebohm congratulates Missy Franklin at world titles, by Aniko Kovacs][/COLOR]
Absolutely. I think it's a huge responsibility and I take it very seriously. Another one of my dreams is to be a role model for young children and see what happens when I can put a smile on someone's face by signing a piece of paper. It means the world to me. I know that in and out of the pool, I'm responsible for my actions. Those actions are going to say something about who I am and I want to make sure that I'm giving the right representation and giving all young athletes and young people someone they can look up to.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: How important is interacting with your fans on twitter and Facebook?[/COLOR]
I love it. One of the best things about social media is the ability it gives you to interact with your fans. I get awesome tweets from people. Sometimes, I get to wish them a happy birthday, or on Halloween, I get pictures of kids dressed up as me. It's a way for me to see how I'm making an impression and it gives me the ability to make more of an impact by being able to tweet someone back or write them a message back on Facebook. It's a good way to stay connected.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Do you have any good stories of what your fans have tweeted you or shared on Facebook?[/COLOR]
Probably my favorite ones come from parents with pictures of kids dressed up as me or school projects or hanging pictures of me in their room. Those things mean the world to me. To be able to get on my phone in the middle of the day and see that, it keeps things in perspective.
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: Do you have a plan how long you might swim?[/COLOR] [COLOR="DimGray"][Photo: Missy Franklin with USA teammate Ryan Lochte on the eve of battle in Barcelona last year, by Craig Lord][/COLOR]
In the short term, I'm going to swim for two years collegiately and then turn professional after my sophomore year. Career-wise, I don't think anyone can predict how long they are going to swim. There are so many different factors that come in. I hope to swim for a very long time, but there are definitely other things I want to do in my life, as well. My dream job is to be a kindergarten teacher. I want to get married and have a family. I think swimming will always be a part of my life, no matter what. I think I'm going to go down the path that God has for me and let everything work out the way it's supposed to.*
[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Q: What are your life goals away from swimming over the next few years?[/COLOR]
Over the next few years, I want to get my degree from Cal. That's huge for me. Even though I'm not going to be swimming for the team (after turning professional), I'm going to stay in school and get my degree. I'm hoping and this all speculation at this point to go to graduate school in education.
[COLOR="Blue"]"I'm going to take my education very seriously over the next few years, just as I'm going to do with swimming, and let those two things lead me into the next phase in my life."[/COLOR]
[COLOR="SlateGray"]Our sincere thanks to [U]Laureus[/U] and [U]Calacus[/U] for helping to bring us the wonderful world of Missy Franklin in her own words[/COLOR]
[SIZE="3"]Missy Franklin: From the Gold to the Golden Bears[/SIZE]
By [COLOR="Blue"]Matthew Futterman[/COLOR] [COLOR="Gray"]March 18, 2014 7:19 p.m. ET[/COLOR]
[COLOR="Navy"]Olympian Missy Franklin will be swimming for California at the NCAAs this week, but she won't be swimming the backstroke. Agence France_Presse/Getty Images[/COLOR]
Missy Franklin has always done things a little differently.
Growing up in Colorado, she didn't swim nearly as much as other top swimmers her age. After winning four gold medals and a bronze in the 2012 London Olympics when she was just 17, she blew off millions in potential endorsements to remain an amateur. She wanted to compete as a senior in high school and now in college at California.
So maybe it shouldn't be surprising that Franklin barely competed in the backstroke during her freshman season at Cal, even though she is the reigning world and Olympic champion in the 100 and 200 meters, and the world-record holder in the 200 in both 25-meter and 50-meter pools.
At this week's NCAA championships in Minneapolis, she will swim three freestyle races and compete in the relays. But during backstroke events, the best female backstroker in the world will remain on the pool deck and cheer on her teammatessomething the ever-exuberant Franklin does very loudly.
"I do miss backstroke, I'm not going to lie," Franklin said last week, joking that sometimes when she swims backstroke for practices she feels like she has almost forgotten it. But moments later Franklin is talking about the joy she gets from helping her team win meets by swimming other races she would never think about competing in internationally, and seeing how this collegiate experiment affects her evolution as a swimmer.
If this sounds out of step with the approach most athletes take in this era of teenage professionalism and specialization, that's because it is. Michael Phelps, the swimmer to whom Franklin is often compared, turned pro before graduating from high school and never spent a minute thinking about putting the needs of his team before his own.
That, however, is what Franklin signed on for when she opted to attend Cal following her medal-haul in London. Cal women's swim coach Teri McKeever, who was also the U.S. women's Olympic team coach in 2012, told Franklin she would swim races where her team needed to earn points. That could change depending on the opponent, but Cal's team is stacked in backstroke. So, Franklin has to sit out her specialty, just as McKeever told her she might.
"I'm not interested in recruiting someone who will tell me what they want to do," McKeever said. "I want kids who are willing to do whatever the team needs."
Franklin isn't exactly struggling with that assignment. At the Pac-12 conference meet last month she won the 100-, 200- and 500-yard freestyle races, setting meet records in each. She also swam legs in the 400 and 800 freestyle relay and the 200 and 400 medley relay. Cal won three of the four and finished second in the other.
Franklin, who wants to major in psychology, plans to spend two years competing for the Golden Bears, who have won three of the past five NCAA women's championships. She would then turn pro in 2015, though she also plans continue to taking classes at Cal and train with McKeever in the school's graduate swim program.
Until then though, she is just another Bear, albeit the one who gets stopped for autographs in airports, and who is largely responsible for the crowds that have packed Cal swimming meets this season.
Franklin won't be the only Olympian at the NCAA meet tackling unfamiliar races. Florida's Elizabeth Beisel, the silver medalist in the Olympic 400 individual medley in 2012, will swim the 200 butterfly. Gregg Troy, who coaches Florida and led the U.S. men in 2012, said pushing swimmers like Beisel and Franklin out of their comfort zones is what college swimming is all about.
"You want to swim your best events and have confidence in those events," McKeever said. "But there is an incredible learning opportunity in swimming other events."
Next year, as her pro career approaches, Franklin said she plans to focus more heavily on her core events, the 100 and 200 backstroke races and those same distances in the freestyle, since those events qualify swimmers for relays, which are Franklin favorites.
Until then, for Franklin, swimming for Cal has a more utilitarian purpose. Even the most dedicated swimmers in the world dread the monotony of their sport, the endless hours staring at a black line under the water. Being on a team brings camaraderie to the misery.
"I honestly don't think I could practice by myself," Franklin said. "Here I have 25 other goofballs who I can have such a good time with."
[SIZE="3"]Missy Franklin a star attraction at NCAA meet[/SIZE] By [COLOR="Blue"]Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY Sports[/COLOR] [COLOR="Gray"] 9:14 p.m. EDT March 18, 2014[/COLOR]
[COLOR="Gray"](Photo: Ben Margot AP)[/COLOR]
Want to see the best female swimmers in the world? No need to save up for Rio de Janeiro, where the 2016 Summer Games will be held, or Montreal for this year's world championships. To see the best in the world, Minneapolis is where it's at. The city will host the NCAA championships beginning Thursday.
"In a lot of ways, it's deeper and more competitive than a world championship or an Olympics, because it's not based on countries. It's just based on best times," said California coach Teri McKeever, also the U.S. women's coach in the 2012 Olympics. The top programs feature the top Americans as well as elite swimmers from all over the world.
Still, the main attraction is Cal freshman Missy Franklin, who makes her NCAA championship debut for the top-ranked Bears. The four-time Olympic champion has plenty of elite company, such as Cal teammates Liz Pelton and Rachel Bootsma and U.S. teammates Elizabeth Beisel at Florida and Breeja Larson and Cammile Adams at Texas A&M.
Franklin will not race her usual 100 and 200 backstroke events. Instead she'll swim the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle because that's where her team needs her. "Every coach would be envious of a Missy Franklin, who can swim multiple events and be successful," McKeever said.
McKeever likens managing her roster to a chess match. "If you have someone like Missy who's a queen or a king, you can move her around. And you have pawns, which can only do one or two things. Every coach is looking at how they're going to maximize their point total," she said.
Since the Bears are deep in backstroke, neither Franklin nor Pelton, who was fourth in worlds in the 100 backstroke, is entered.
Not surprisingly, Franklin has embraced the challenge with a smile. "It's been really, really fun being able to focus on freestyle, swimming all distances of it. Being a sprinter, being a distance swimmer," she said. "I'm really excited to see how they transfer over into long course," she added, referring to 50-meter pools used for the Olympics instead of the 25-yard pools in college.
After a year at Cal, the best swimmer in the world got even better with increased versatility. "Missy hopes to swim at a world-class level perhaps for another decade. If she swims the 100, 200 back, that's going to get a little stale," McKeever said. "Swimming is swimming. I think you can learn a lot in what I call your non-ego events. The events you're not as comfortable with or that you're challenged in new ways."
After winning five Olympic medals in the 2012 Games at 17 with McKeever, Franklin decided not to turn pro because she loved the team dynamic at Cal.
Last summer, Franklin followed her breakout in London by winning six gold medals in the 2013 world championships. Next on her list: a national title for the Bears, who finished second behind Georgia last year.
"The whole process has just been amazing," Franklin said of her season. She will compete next year as well before turning pro before the 2016 Olympics. "It seriously feels like yesterday like I was moving into the dorms. ... It's just been so much fun."
[SIZE="3"]Olympian Missy Franklin finds happy days with Cal swimmers[/SIZE]
John Crumpacker [COLOR="Gray"]Updated 11:42 pm, Saturday, March 15, 2014[/COLOR]
[COLOR="Navy"]Missy Franklin excels in the backstroke (above) and freestyle events, and plans to turn pro after the spring season in 2015.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Gray"]Photo: Michael Sohn, Associated Press [/COLOR]
If her face does not shatter from smiling so much, Missy Franklin might end up having a pretty good college career when her time at Cal is up about a year from now.
The female swimming star of the 2012 London Olympics – where she won four gold medals – passed up a golden opportunity to turn professional two years ago in favor of life as a college freshman at Berkeley.
She could be driving a BMW and living in some swanky condo instead of fretting about her GPA and bunking in the dorms with roommate and fellow freshman swimmer Kristen Vredeveld.
Yet the 18-year-old from Centennial, Colo., wouldn’t have it any other way, judging by her effervescence during a recent interview. Franklin, whose personality suggests she could well be named Sunny or Bubbles instead of Missy, is having the time of her young life on coach Teri McKeever’s third-ranked team.
“It’s awesome,” Franklin said, smiling continuously. “Anytime I get to travel with my team, we have so much fun. We do the greatest things. We went to Hawaii over winter break. It’s the best 10 days I had in college, with 25 of my best friends.”
After London, Franklin made a decision to swim for Cal as a freshman and sophomore, and then turn pro in the spring of 2015 to train for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She will continue to train at Cal with McKeever’s team after leaving her amateur status in the shallow end of the pool.
So far, so good.
“It’s going so well,” she said. “We have a really incredible team. The team aspect is totally different than anything I’ve been used to. My competition in practice was high school boys. Coming here to a program surrounded by world-class competitors, so many people have the same goals as I do. It’s an incredible environment to be a part of.”
After winning three individual events at the Pac-12 Championships (100-, 200-, 500-yard freestyles, short-course yards) and swimming on three winning relays to help the Bears claim the conference title about two weeks ago, Franklin and her 25 best friends are off to Minneapolis for the NCAA Championships at the University of Minnesota on Thursday through Saturday.
“She’s one piece in the cog,” McKeever said. “Most people enjoy being around someone who sees life for its positive side. She’s doing a great job. Obviously, she’s a productive swimmer, has amazing talent. College swimming is different than international swimming for the team aspect. She’s willing to do what she can to support the team in practice or a swim event.”
Franklin will compete in seven events over three days encompassing three individual events and four relays. The Cal women won NCAA team championships in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
“There will be a handful of women we’ll rely on to do that,” McKeever said. “Freestyle and backstroke is where she’s going to help us.”
As a student, Franklin is taking classes in psychology, public health and nutritional science. She made it a point of emphasis to say she will remain in school and get her degree after her time on the swim team ends following the 2015 NCAA Championships.
“I’m 110 percent committed to getting my degree here, which is very, very important to me,” Franklin said. “My parents talked a lot about it after 2012 when I decided to stay amateur. I absolutely will finish out my degree here and train with the team.”
Franklin’s gold medals at London came in the 200-meter backstroke (a world-record 2 minutes, 4.06 seconds), 100 back, 800 free relay and 400 medley relay. She also won bronze in the 400 free relay. A year later at the FINA World Championships, Franklin hauled in six gold medals.
For her 2013 season, she was named best female athlete at the Teen Choice Awards and best female Olympic athlete at the ESPYs. She’s also one of six candidates for Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year; Franklin will be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the event March 26.
There is no doubt that the success former Cal swimmers Natalie Coughlin, Caitlyn Leverenz and Dana Vollmer had under McKeever strongly influenced Franklin’s decision to attend Cal. Having McKeever as her Olympic head coach didn’t hurt, either.
“Teri has a way of making swimming into not swimming,” Franklin said. “Each practice is not just swimming back and forth. She makes it interactive and we have to think about it, so we’re not only physically exhausted but mentally exhausted, and then we have to go to class for 1 1/2 hours.”
McKeever said, “She’s a very bright young lady, very engaged in learning. There’s more to her than she swims fast.”
Her success in London made Franklin quite possibly the highest-profile incoming freshman in an Olympic sport that Cal has had.
“I was just saying, when I think I’ve seen it all, Berkeley throws something new at me,” she said. “Berkeley is unique. You need to embrace it and love it. It’s open to so many different experiences, just being in a place that’s so accepting of different cultures.
“I want to travel and be immersed in so many different cultures. I think that’s cool.”
2013-14 highlights
August: Set a women’s record with six gold medals at the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, making her the most decorated woman at the worlds (nine career golds).
December: Won the 200 free (meet-record 1:41.40) and 100 backstroke (51.59), and was second in the 500 free (school-record 4:34.63) and 200 back at the AT&T Winter National Championships in December.
March: Pac-12 freestyle champion in 100 (meet-record 47.17), 200 and 500 yards (meet-record 4:35.73), and won as part of the 400-free, 800-free and 400-medley relay teams.
Awards: Teen Choice Award for best female athlete; ESPY for best female Olympic athlete.
John Crumpacker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jcrumpacker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @crumpackeroncal [COLOR="White"].[/COLOR]
Thank you for these wonderful posts. As only a freshman, Missy already has become one of the finest representatives of our University that we've ever had and we've been blessed with many. Go Bears!
[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Navy"]Inside The Lair: A Humble Olympian [/COLOR][/SIZE] [COLOR="DimGray"]Courtesy: Cal Athletics Release: Wednesday 03/19/2014 [/COLOR]
By Jonathan Okanes
Cal Bear Blog
BERKELEY If there's one thing we've learned so far about [COLOR="Blue"]Missy Franklin[/COLOR]'s experience at Cal, it's that winning four gold medals doesn't necessarily mean you're going to ace your Psychology midterm.
The Cal freshman and decorated Olympic swimmer is well, just that - a freshman. And that means she has had to adjust to the rigorous academic workload at Cal just like any other student that walks on to campus for the first time. Franklin is just a little more recognizable than most of those freshmen.
"In one of my discussions, I was talking about how nervous I was I was for this midterm, and someone else said, 'How are you nervous for a midterm? You were in the Olympics'," Franklin said last week as she prepared for the NCAA Championships, which begin Thursday in Minneapolis. "Once you go to the Olympics, I think people sort of think you're invincible after that. I can still fail my midterm. I still go through all the struggles of studying and keeping up with school, just like everyone else here."
And it's those struggles and challenges that Franklin sought out when she made her decision to come to Berkeley. She wanted to be as much as a normal college student as possible, whether it be as a member of Cal's women's swim team, in the classroom or in the campus community.
By all accounts, she's getting that for better or for worse.
"The academics, I wanted a school that was going to set me up well. It's kicking my butt right now," Franklin said. "I've always had my education as my first priority. School has been really, really difficult but I've loved that challenge. I love going to class every day and learning something new."
The coursework may be challenging Franklin, but like most things, she appears to be up to the challenge. During halftime of a recent men's basketball game, Franklin was among a large group of student-athletes honored for producing a 3.0 GPA or higher during the fall semester.
And as she paraded on to and off of the Haas Pavilion floor that night with her fellow student-athletes, there were no autograph-seekers hounding her or a sudden burst of Missy-Mania from the crowd. She was just another Cal student-athlete just the way she wants it.
"It's been very normal, for sure," Franklin said. "Something I've always held really close to my heart is being able to live the normal life and making sure I get all those experiences in, and I absolutely have been. Honestly, I don't get that recognized that much at all. It's super-occasional. I seriously have to stop myself sometimes when people come up to me and say hi. I just forget sometimes how people know me. It slips my mind sometimes because I don't even think about it."
That being said, Franklin knows she is going to be the subject of extra attention that'll happen when you capture the heart and imagination of your country with a performance for the ages in the Olympics. Franklin strives to be happy and positive, and it's sincere. But she still is an 18-year old freshman away from home for the first time, and admits it's natural for there to be down times as well.
"I put a lot of pressure on myself to always be happy and always be positive," Franklin said. "That's just the way I want to live my life. I think every freshman in college can attest to the fact that you're not going to be happy all the time. I miss home so much. There are times when you have to allow yourself to say it's OK to miss home. It's OK to miss your family and miss your parents. There are regular stresses of your freshman year. Trying to balance being on this collegiate team with school and missing two weeks of class in a month and then coming back and trying to get on top of it again, missing friends all that stuff."
A major reason why normalcy has usually been the norm during Franklin's freshman year is the environment surrounding her on her team. Franklin and head coach Teri McKeever already had a relationship from the 2012 Summer Olympics, when McKeever served as head coach of the U.S. team. Franklin also knew some of Cal's other swimmers that have also competed at an elite international level.
Franklin said one of the reasons she decided to come to college rather than turning professional straight out of high school is because she wanted to be part of a college team. It appears that McKeever and associate head coach Kristen Cunnane have established the perfect team environment for Franklin.
"I think she's in an environment where she feels supported, comfortable and safe," McKeever said. "Missy is obviously an incredible athlete, but she's just really grounded. She's very coachable. I'm really enjoying how much of a student of the sport she is. She has a passion that is contagious."
Franklin said she had no idea what she wanted to get her degree in when she arrived in Berkeley last August but now plans to major in Psychology with a minor in Disability Studies. She said her dream job is to one day become a Kindergarten teacher because of her love of kids.
"She has a personal ethic that if she is going to do something, she is going to do it to the best of her ability," McKeever said. "Whether it's working out, studying or a Secret Santa gift she's willing to prioritize what's important. I don't think a lot of 18-year olds are willing to do that. That's why she's achieved the things most 18-year olds haven't."
[COLOR="White"].[/COLOR] [FONT="Times New Roman"][SIZE="3"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Guess if Missy had been awarded "Swimmer of the Meet" @ NCAAs, she'd might have announced giddily to the cameras, "I'm going to Disney World!"
Instead, she'll be hopping on a plane with her parents to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the [U]2014 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony[/U] where she's a nominee for the 2nd year running.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Navy"]Missy Franklin Will Attend Laureus World Sports Academy Awards Ceremony[/COLOR][/SIZE]
LaureusSport [COLOR="DimGray"]Mar 21 [/COLOR] The #LWSA14 Sportswomen Nominees... all incredible athletes, but who gets YOUR support? [COLOR="White"].[/COLOR]
[INDENT][SIZE="4"][COLOR="Sienna"]Why She Went to College[/COLOR][/SIZE] [COLOR="White"].............[/COLOR][COLOR="SlateGray"]by Casey Barrett[/COLOR][/INDENT]
[SIZE="3"]Missy Franklin and the Meaning of NCAAs[/SIZE]
She couldn't have realized it at the time. She was rather immersed in the task at hand. Two and a half seconds back, her team a distant third, only her anchor leg to go It was Friday night, day two of the Women's NCAA Championships, and Missy Franklin had a hell of a lot of ground to make up in the 800 freestyle relay. The race was down to the three best teams at the meet Georgia, Stanford, and Cal. Already in the water for Stanford was freshman Lia Neal, Missy's fellow high school Olympic teammate back in London. In the water for the Bulldogs, sophomore stud Brittany MacLean, the girl who beat Missy head to head a night earlier in the 500 free.
She couldn't have realized it then, but this was a moment, perhaps the moment, that she will always return to when folks ask her why she went to college. This is what college swimming is all about, this is why Missy Franklin passed up millions for a few years of this priceless community of competition.
What happened next was what you'd expect from the current face of American swimming. She dove in and started reeling them in. 50 yards, just a second and a half back; 100 yards, less than a second; 150 yards five one-hundredths back; and then Georgia's MacLean dug in. She wasn't letting Franklin by that easy. Stroke for stroke over the final lap, until Missy managed to inch by, touching the wall first for her Cal Bears by .15. Her split: an astonishing 1:40.08.
Another golden feather in the cap for the golden girl Did you expect anything less?
Actually, many probably expected more from Franklin at her NCAA debut. Her individual results: gold, silver, and bronze. Three events earlier on that Friday night, she torched the field in the 200 free, crushing the NCAA and American record by almost a full second. On the first night in the 500 free, she had to settle for a hard-fought second in the 500 behind MacLean. Both swimmers eclipsed the former NCAA record, held by Allison Schmitt, though it's worth noting that Katie Ledecky's American record of 4:28.71, set last month, is a good four seconds faster than that NCAA mark. Tonight in the 100 free, she rounded out her freshman campaign with a third behind Arizona's Margo Geer and Stanford's Lia Neal.
A fine and impressive showing, but then again, the girl collected more hardware at the Olympics. And then again, why didn't the best backstroker on earth swim any backstroke for her team? Safe to say the 100 and 200 back were fairly sure bets for Franklin. Why wouldn't Teri McKeever use her golden goose where she's at her best? Well, because this is a team competition, and it's all about the points. Cal was already stacked with backstrokers; the Bears needed her skills more in the freestyles. That's value and versatility when you can pass on your two best events, and still be a touch away from winning your fourth or fifth or even sixth best events, because that's where your team needs you.
Missy's first NCAAs didn't end the way she'd envisioned when she first signed at Cal last year, when she glowed and gushed about being a part of a college team and leading the Golden Bears to another team title. This year they were no match for the all-around depth and excellence of Georgia. A crushing DQ in the 200 medley relay didn't help Cal's chances, but even without it, Georgia was in a class of its own this year. However, it's a safe bet that McKeever's girls did not expect their cross-bay Cardinal rivals to sweep past them the way they did. The Stanford women swam over their heads at this year's meet. Caps off to second year coach Greg Meehan and his crew for four relay victories and a surprising second place finish. Cal swam away with what must be a bittersweet third in the team race.
She didn't think it would be easy, did she? Of course not. At 19, she's as seasoned an elite competitor as any teenager you'll find, in any sport. Yet, everything has always seemed to turn out, well, just about perfect for Missy Franklin. The Olympics, the World Championships, the almost sickeningly well-adjusted home life Stumbles from the script, that stuff happens to other swimmers. Don't you think she must be just slightly surprised right now?
And that too is why she went to college. To go through challenges not as a lone figure on the blocks wearing stars and stripes, but to embrace the collective challenge as a teammate, as a student-athlete.
Missy Franklin has had greater triumphs than a come-from-behind relay victory at NCAAs. She'll have greater triumphs to come. But years from now, ask her about her experience swimming at Cal. Ask her what she remembers most, what were her proudest moments?
LaureusSport [COLOR="Gray"]1h [/COLOR] Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year is [COLOR="Blue"]@franklinmissy[/COLOR] #LWSA14
LaureusSport [COLOR="Gray"]1h [/COLOR] Missy says: "Oh my gosh... I dont know what I'm doing here" #LWSA14
LaureusSport [COLOR="Gray"]1h [/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]@FranklinMissy[/COLOR] "I'm glad it's my spring break so I'm not missing any school to come here." #LWSA14
LaureusSport [COLOR="Gray"]10m [/COLOR] BACKSTAGE: [COLOR="Blue"]@FranklinMissy[/COLOR] having a great time speaking with journalists...
LaureusSport [COLOR="Gray"]1m [/COLOR] Benedict in the audience again chatting to [COLOR="Blue"]@FranklinMissy[/COLOR], discussing old age... (18 and mid 30ies? Not old at all...) #LWSA14
[COLOR="Blue"]Missy Franklin[/COLOR] [COLOR="Gray"]42 minutes ago [/COLOR] And to top the night off I was able to spend some wonderful time with Benedict Cumberbatch! Such a genuine person and a wonderful host! #sherlock #totallyfangirled
[COLOR="Blue"]Missy Franklin[/COLOR] [COLOR="Gray"]1 day ago [/COLOR] Couldn't be more honored to receive the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award. To even be considered along such prestigious athletes is a dream let alone receiving the award from Mark Spitz. Thank you so much #Laureus for such an unforgettable night! HUGE congrats to all the other recipients and nominees!
[SIZE="4"][COLOR="Sienna"]Missy Franklin: Laureus Sportswoman of the Year[/COLOR][/SIZE] [COLOR="Gray"]Courtesy: Cal Athletics Release: Wednesday 03/26/2014 [/COLOR]
[COLOR="Gray"]Missy Franklin, at the Laureus Awards[/COLOR]
Cal freshman [COLOR="Blue"]Missy Franklin[/COLOR] added yet another honor to her growing list when she was named the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year during a ceremony Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Franklin earned the award primarily for her record-setting performance at the 2013 World Championships when she captured six gold medals most ever for a woman at the event. Individually, she won the 100- and 200-meter backstroke and 200-meter freestyle, while she was also a member of the victorious USA squads in the 400- and 800-meter free relay and 400-meter medley relay. Earlier in the summer, she finished in first place in four individual events at U.S. Nationals 100 and 200 back and 100 and 200 free.
...
The prestigious award adds to Franklin's ever-increasing number of accolades over the past six months. In October, Franklin was named the Sportswoman of the Year for an individual sport by the Women's Sports Foundation. ESPNW also placed her No. 3 on its list of the most impactful female athletes of 2013, and Time Magazine chose her as one of the top 16 most influential teens of 2013.
During her just-completed collegiate season with the Golden Bears, Franklin was named the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Meet after setting conference championship records in the 100-yard free, 200-yard free and 500-yard free, as well as being part of three winning relays. At the NCAA Championships last week, Franklin's highlights included an American record on her way to victory in the 200-yard free and bringing Cal back from a 2.5-second deficit on the anchor leg to claim the 800 free relay title.
In addition, Franklin was a two-time National Swimmer of the Week and two-time Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month. Over the course of the season, she set school records in both the 200 and 500 free events.
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[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][SIZE="3"]Laureus Votes Missy Franklin Top Sportswoman In The World[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Three of the most exciting young sports stars of their generation, who have proved world-beaters despite their age, have been honoured at the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Germany's Sebastian Vettel, the youngest four-time Formula One world champion in history at 26, was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, [COLOR="Blue"]US swimmer Missy Franklin, at 18, became the youngest ever winner of the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award[/COLOR], while Spain's Marc Mrquez received the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award, after winning the World MotoGP Championship at just 20 years and 266 days.
...
[COLOR="Blue"]Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Missy Franklin was the sensation of the World Championships in Barcelona, becoming the first woman swimmer in history to win six gold medals at a single World Championships three individual and three relay - at the age of just 18. This followed her performance in the London Olympics where she won four gold medals. She continues to refuse prize money and endorsements so that she can maintain her amateur status in college.[/COLOR]
The Awards Ceremony was held at the Istana Budaya, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was hosted by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Oscar and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx performed to the star-studded audience. German actor Daniel Brhl, who played Niki Lauda in the film Rush, was present along with Chinese supermodel and actress Du Juan.
The Awards were announced in seven categories. The winners are:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Sebastian Vettel
[COLOR="Blue"][U]Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year[/U]: Missy Franklin[/COLOR]
Laureus World Team of the Year: Bayern Munich
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Marc Mrquez
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Rafael Nadal
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Marie Bochet
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Jamie Bestwick
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[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Blue"]Missy Franklin Caps Incredible Month With Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award[/COLOR][/SIZE]
MISSY Franklin capped off an incredible week by accepting the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award during a star-studded ceremony in Malaysia tonight.
"Oh my gosh," said the nine-time world champion upon accepting the award. "I don't know what I'm doing here."
Franklin's appearance at what is dubbed "The Oscars of Sports Awards" comes just days after making her NCAA championship debut. She won the 200-yard freestyle in Minneapolis in American record time (1:40.31) while also placing second in the 500-yard freestyle and third in the 100-yard freestyle. Franklin received her award from legendary swimmer Mark Spitz.
[COLOR="Red"]Franklin's win is the first for an aquatic sports athlete in the Sportswoman of the Year category[/COLOR]. The honor comes after she won six gold medals at last year's world championships, the most by any female at a world championship meet. Franklin was also nominated for the award in 2013 after an impressive Olympic debut, where she won five gold medals.
Franklin had tough competition in her category, nominated alongside soccer player Nadine Angerer, runner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, skier Tina Maze and tennis player Serena Williams.
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Though he never won the Sportsman of the Year award, Michael Phelps received the Exceptional Achievement Award in 2013 after becoming the Greatest Olympian of All Time with his 22-medal haul over three Olympics.
[SIZE="4"][COLOR="Sienna"]Franklin Named Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of Year[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[COLOR="Gray"]Courtesy: Cal Athletics Release: Wednesday 03/26/2014 [/COLOR]
[COLOR="Gray"]Missy Franklin shows off her Pac-12 Swimmer of the Meet award from the conference championships. Courtesy: Cal Athletics [/COLOR]
Missy Franklin, who captured three individual events and was a part of three winning relays at the conference championships, has been named the Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year for women's swimming.
Since the award was first established in 2000, Golden Bears have earned the honor five times, most recently with Elizabeth Pelton last year. Others to receive the recognition are Natalie Coughlin in 2001, Liv Jensen in 2009 and Caitlin Leverenz in 2010.
At the Pac-12 meet, Franklin won the 100-yard freestyle in 47.17, the 200 free in 1:42.29 and the 500 free in 4:35.73. In addition, she helped Cal to victories in the 400 and 800 free relay and 400 medley relay, as well as a runner-up finish in the 200 medley relay.
Franklin was the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month for December and February and was tabbed the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Meet for her performance at the conference championships.
By [COLOR="Blue"]Pac-12 Conference[/COLOR] [COLOR="Gray"]Mar 26, 2014[/COLOR]
[COLOR="Gray"]Chuckarelei Studios [/COLOR]
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - STANFORD senior Maya DiRado was named Pac-12 Women's Swimmer of the Year, CALIFORNIA freshman Missy Franklin earned Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year honors, and Cardinal head coach Greg Meehan was named Pac-12 Women's Swimming Coach of the Year, the Conference office announced today. The awards were voted on by the Pac-12 head women's swimming coaches.
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Franklin, flourished in her first season in Berkeley, claiming Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month honors in December and again in February after collecting a meet-high six titlesthree individual and three relay in her debut at the 2014 Pac-12 Championships. The Centennial, Colo. native set three meet records in the 100 free, 200 free and 500 free to collect her first three Pac-12 individual championships. She also helped Cal to victories in the 400 and 800 free relay and 400 medley relay, as well as a runner-up finish in the 200 medley relay. Her performance earned her the Pac-12 Women's Swimmer of the Meet honors. She capped her first season of collegiate swimming by setting an American, U.S. Open and NCAA record with a time of 1:40.31a full second under the old record of 1:41.21in winning the 200 freestyle at the NCAA Championships last weekend. Franklin also helped the Bearswho finished third overall to a national championship in the 800 freestyle relay in addition to a second-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay, second-place effort in the 500 freestyle and a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle.
[COLOR="Red"][SIZE="3"]Nominees Announced for 2014 Honda Swimming & Diving Sport Award[/SIZE][/COLOR]
Teammates Maya DiRado and Felicia Lee of Stanford, California's Missy Franklin, Breeja Larson of Texas A&M and Georgia's Brittany MacLean are the five nominees for the Honda Sports Award for swimming & diving as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.
The Honda Sports Award is presented annually by the CWSA to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies "the best of the best in collegiate athletics". The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2014 Honda Cup. The nominees were chosen by a panel of expert coaches from the sport of swimming & diving.
The Honda Sports award winner for swimming & diving will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
DiRado ...
A native of Centennial, Colo., Franklin was named the Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year and earned Pac-12 Swimmer of the Meet honors at the conference championship. She captured her first NCAA title in the 200 free setting an American record and went on to anchor the 800 free relay team to a come-from-behind NCAA victory. She was a two-time National Swimmer of the Week and a two-time Pac-12 Swimmer of the Month.
Larson ....
Lee ...
MacLean ...
The CWSA presents the Honda Sports Award annually to top women student-athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports. Honda Sports award winners will be presented with the honor during on-campus presentations throughout the year and all Honda Sports award winners become a finalist for the prestigious 2014 Honda Cup award presented in June.
Five Honda Sports Awards winners for swimming & diving have gone on to win the prestigious Honda Cup- Tara Kirk (Stanford, 2004), Cristina Teuscher (Columbia, 2000), Mary T. Meagher (California, 1987), Tracy Caulkins (Florida, 1984 &1982) and Jill Sterkel (Texas, 1981).
THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards has honored the nation's top NCAA women athletes for 37 years, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $2.7 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs at the institutions.
[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"]Missy Franklin Nominee for 2014 Honda Award[/SIZE][/COLOR]
BERKELEY Cal freshman Missy Franklin, who set an American record in winning the 200-yard free at the NCAA Championships earlier this month, has been named one of five nominees for the Honda Sports Award for women's swimming & diving.
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Four Cal swimmers have earned the Honda Sports Award previously Caitlin Leverenz (2012), Dana Vollmer (2009), Natalie Coughlin (2002 and 2003) and Mary T. Meagher (1985 and 1987) with Meagher winning the 1987 Honda Cup. Last year, Elizabeth Pelton, now a Golden Bear sophomore, was a nominee for the Honda Award.
[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="4"]CASHING IN ON COLLEGE MISSY FRANKLIN: FROM OLYMPIAN TO COLLEGE SWIMMER[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[COLOR="SlateGray"]BY MIKE WATKINS[/COLOR]
Missy Franklin was faced with a tough decision, one only a select few high school seniors and even fewer swimmers ever have to make. Fresh from a four-gold-medal performance in London, one of the most recognizable faces in swimming had two choices: take the academic route and make a top college program even stronger, or cash in on her fame and Olympic performance and make millions in endorsements and prize money. After lengthy, intense discussions with her coach and parents and despite endorsement offers from a slew of corporations and products Franklin chose college and enrolled at the University of California-Berkeley this past fall to train with and learn from coach Teri McKeever. Now, five months into her freshman year and a couple of months from her first NCAA Championships, she has had time to reflect upon her decision, and she couldn't be happier. "It's been an amazing season for me," Franklin said. "I love being a Cal Bear. "My first semester was more challenging than I expected, but I am so happy be here and swimming with Teri and part of the Cal family. It couldn't be better."
While her first season has been a good one for her, Franklin admits it hasn't been without its challenges. Just like the rest of her fellow freshmen, it took Franklin a good couple of months to get really comfortable in her new surroundings living away from mom and dad. Add in the academic rigors of a top university and her responsibilities of being a student-athlete, and Franklin had her hands full. Having kept in touch with her regularly mostly via text during this time, Todd Schmitz, Franklin's club coach with the Colorado STARS, noticed she was a little anxious when she returned home for Thanksgiving break. When she came back for Christmas a few weeks later, he said he could see a definite ease in her demeanor and outlook about school and swimming. "Missy is an only child, and she had full run of her parent's house for most of her life, and then she's sharing a small dorm room with someone it took her a while to adjust," said Schmitz, who has been coaching Franklin since she was 11."There was definitely something different about Miss when she came home for Christmas that wasn't there at Thanksgiving. I think it all finally clicked, and she was fully engaged and comfortable with this new part of her life."
Franklin said one of the main reasons she decided to join a collegiate swim team and attend college now was because it was between Olympic years and she always wanted to experience college life. During her college visits, she said she felt a strong connection to the other girls at Cal, something that weighed heavily on her decision not just to become a member of the Bears family but also to attend college altogether. McKeever was the U.S. women's head coach during the Games in London, and working with McKeever in that environment also factored into Franklin's decision-making process. "I know I still have a lot to learn in and out of the water, and the opportunity to work with Teri was enough for me to decide to forego professional swimming for a little while," said Franklin, who intends to swim another season at Cal before going pro and focusing on her training for the 2016 Olympics. "I've learned so much from her, some things I had never thought about before, especially with a different perspective from a different coach," Franklin said. "I really wish I could stay all four years, but I'm happy to have the two and make the most of them."
For McKeever, who welcomed the world's most popular and lately most successful female swimmer to her team with open arms, she is excited to have Franklin as a member of the team and never worried about any distractions. If anything, she wanted as much as possible for her college experience to be one of normalcy as normal as it could be for someone of her celebrity and accomplishment. That included life on campus among other students as well as her teammates, and even at dual meets and other swimming events. "Missy is just Missy, and that makes her very appealing and approachable, and she welcomes that from people on campus and during meets," said McKeever, who has coached a number of other 'celebrity'-level swimmers, including 11-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin, Olympic champion and world-record holder Dana Vollmer and former world champion Jessica Hardy. "If I was concerned about anything, it was how would she mesh with the other swimmers here, but that's a concern with all new recruits," McKeever said. "Of course, she's not the first well-known swimmer or athlete we've had at Cal, so most everyone has been respectful of her space, and we all know how to work with someone of her talent. It's been a real pleasure having her on the team. She brings a lot to the group."
For Franklin, who said she has never not once had an ounce of regret or doubted her decision, the part she enjoys most has been being part of a team with other young women. Having fellow athletes her age to help her through the ups and downs has given her a new perspective about what it means to be accountable to others in a sport that can be very singular and individual. "It's been wonderful feeling of something so much bigger than just myself," said Franklin, who earned a 3.5 GPA her first semester. "Having other girls who are going through the same things I am going through has been great, and we have a great time together. It's like having a big group of sisters, and that's been absolutely wonderful."
There's no denying Franklin's presence on the Cal team has helped increase interest and attendance at swim meets, both on and off campus. Everybody wants the opportunity to say they had the chance to see Missy Franklin swim in person. "At our last home dual meet, we had more than 1,200 people come, and some actually had to be turned away," Franklin said. "I may be one of the reasons they come to watch, but once they are there, they see a fantastic group of swimmers. Hopefully, they get hooked and come back more and more. This team is full of swimming stars, and I'm just happy to have been a part of it all." [COLOR="White"].[/COLOR]
One thing that crossed my mind recently was when was the last time an NCAA athlete was the best overall participant in their sport? Cal's had world record holders as Bears (Par Arvidsson, Mary T, Biondi, Natalie), but none of them were considered best overall in their sport until after college. Missy's arguably the best female swimmer in the world as a college freshman. Ledecky may be the best overall female swimmer in the world while in college (if she doesn't go pro), but I can't recall anyone (Carl Lewis? Tiger?) ever being considered the best in the world in their sport as a collegian.
[COLOR="White"].[/COLOR] [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Women's Swim & Dive [COLOR="Gray"]Thursday, May 1, 2014[/COLOR]
[SIZE="4"]Little Miss Sunshine[/SIZE][/COLOR]
[SIZE="3"]After Missy Franklin became the darling of the United States in the wake of the 2012 Olympics, she made an unusual decision: Turn down millions of dollars in endorsements in order to swim at Cal. Now, she continues to dance through life.
By [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]Shannon Carroll[/COLOR] | Staff[/SIZE]
Franklin, 8, with Ruger, the Alaskan Malamute that the only child describes as her little brother. Dick Franklin/Courtesy
Before making her first trip to the Olympic trials, Franklin, then 12 years old, traveled to Disney World with her mom and dad. Dick Franklin/Courtesy
At the 2012 Olympics, Franklin (left) competed for the US Swim Team alongside her idol and Cal alum, Natalie Coughlin (right). Along with Coughlin, Franklin was surrounded by former and current Cal swimmers at London. JD Lasica/Creative Commons
Missy Franklin is turning pro in ten months Top agencies hungry for their piece of the biggest fish in the pool
She's the most marketable Olympian alive. Across every sport, Summer or Winter, Phelps and Lochte included, you won't find a more appealing athlete for endorsements in the lead up to Rio. Two years out and Missy Franklin is already the confirmed face of the 2016 Olympics.
Much was made about her decision to forgo the pro path after London and attend college at Cal, including by yours truly ([U][COLOR="Sienna"]Why She Went to College[/COLOR] [/U]: http://capandgoggles.com/2014/03/23/why-she-went-to-college/), but let's be honest that was always a halfway commitment. Missy, and her parents Dick and D.A., who are highly active behind the scenes, never had any intention of swimming through the full four years of her collegiate eligibility. She longed for the college experience, and she's getting it, but the time has come to start talking dollars and sense.
This four-time Olympic champion is a sponsor's dream. She may not have the 8-gold epic-ness of Phelps in her future, and she may not have the twinkling-eyed model smirk of Lochte, but Franklin has something neither of those two man-childs possess. Actually, quite a few somethings. She is that rare transcendent athlete who is also relatable, down-to-earth, and somehow, retains an accomplishment-defying humility. She might be a mutant of physical excellence, like all highest-tier Olympians, but she possesses an unaffected star power that seems rooted in appreciation.
This sounds like I'm among the agents pitching her these days. She and her parents have clearly been hearing much of the same from many quarters. In this week's Sports Business Journal, the trade reports that meetings have begun in earnest among top agencies trying to woo the Franklins to their star athlete stables. (I'd include the link to this piece, but it appears you have to be a subscriber to access SBJ stories online)
These agencies include CAA (home of Lochte); IMG (Lindsay Vonn); The Legacy Agency (Lolo Jones, Kerri Walsh); and of course, Octagon, where Phelps has resided since he turned pro way back in 2001. Safe to say she'll be just fine at any one of these hot spots. Each will come flooding into her orbit with big ideas and big promises and big-time endorsement contracts. In less than a year's time, Missy Franklin will be a multi-millionaire.
Those new representatives will also get theirs. Anything an athlete makes in endorsement income, the standard is that the agent keeps about 20 percent. A $5 million deal with Kellogg? Lovely! The agency will collect a cool million for their trouble. That's just one example, probably ample. As the deals continue to spin, and the potential earnings add up, one can see just how valuable a commodity Franklin has become.
Her refusal to turn pro right after London may have actually helped her in the long run, and not just for the two blissful college-years she's in the process of enjoying. Provided these years proceed without any real hiccups or injuries, her value continues to soar as she sits on the professional sidelines. She's already a proven quantity on the Olympic stage; she's a proven quantity as an athlete with her priorities refreshingly in order; and she's yet to endorse a single thing. All of which adds up to the Sports Business Journal calling her "the most sought after Olympian for agencies in more than a decade."
Indeed, the sharks are circling. But first they'll need to swim past Missy's father, Dick Franklin. See, Mr. Franklin has spent much of his career as a sports business executive, working for Reebok and Head tennis. Agent Evan Morgenstein, who is quoted liberally in the SBJ story, but knows he can't sign her himself, points out that Dick Franklin will likely act as "the point guard" in the team that assembles around Franklin beginning next spring.
Reading all of this in the works, can you blame her from wanting this last gasp of campus normalcy? Just two years to indulge in the fantasy that you're a regular college kid, just like all your friends. But Missy Franklin isn't normal; she's so abnormal in fact that there is a growing line assembling in front of her, just waiting to pour millions into her bank account the moment she says so.
The irony is that what makes her most valuable is the fact that, despite all those heady money clouds on the horizon, she remains motivated by all the right stuff.
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[SIZE="4"][COLOR="Red"]Talent Agencies Lineup For Missy Franklin, The Biggest Olympic Client Since Michael Phelps[/COLOR][/SIZE]
CAA, IMG, Octagon, WMG (Casey Wasserman) and The Legacy Agency have already taken meetings with Missy Franklin's parents reports the Sports Business Journal... Archive Photo via Tim Binning/TheSwimPictures.com
[SIZE="4"][COLOR="Red"]Happy Birthday Missy Franklin, You're No Longer an "Age Grouper"[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[COLOR="DimGray"]Braden Keith | May 10th, 2014 | Featured, National[/COLOR] Ok, so we know it's a little silly. It's been a long time since Missy Franklin was viewed as 'just... Archive Photo via Tim Binning/TheSwimPictures.com
Timing is a little bit cramped for Missy. Natalie and Teri interviewed potential agents in the Fall of her senior year and signed directly after NCAAs. Ideally Missy, Teri, and family could interview potential agents this Summer to minimize distractions during Missy's final season as an NCAA swimmer. Problem is that Pan-Pacs are at the end of August, either during the first week of classes or just before. Missy and Teri will be participating in Australia. Either they do their agent interviews early this Summer or sometime in September. Teri did a great job this year of letting Missy be as much of a typical freshman student-athlete as possible, but unfortunately she's still going to have to sacrifice part of her last season as an amateur swimmer to become a pro in less than a year.
Missy Franklin [COLOR="#808080"]2 August 2014[/COLOR] Mommy and I made carrot cake for our pre-Nationals pot luck tonight☺️ and it's totally healthy because there's carrots���� #gobears #almostgotime #soexcited
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Missy Franklin [COLOR="#808080"]28 July 2014[/COLOR] Cuddle days with my Daddy������ #nothingbetter
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Missy Franklin [COLOR="#808080"]15 June 2014[/COLOR] Happy Father's Day to the most amazing man I've ever known. I love you more than you could ever imagine and my biggest dream in life is to be just like you❤️ Thank you for being the best role model in the world #daddyslittlegirlforever
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Missy Franklin [COLOR="#808080"]11 August 2014[/COLOR] Happy Birthday to the absolute greatest man in the world. No one can ever make me laugh like you. You and mom are my everything��
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Missy Franklin [COLOR="#808080"]11 May 2014[/COLOR] Honestly don't know what I would do without her. Some people are blessed with a best friend and a mom, mine just happen to be the same thing❤️ I love you always. Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful mom and all the other mom's out there!��
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Missy Franklin [COLOR="#808080"]27 April 2014[/COLOR] My best friends through it all��
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Missy Franklin [COLOR="#808080"]9 October 2014[/COLOR] #TBT to when I could hold him in my little hands�� #rockingthatbutterflyshirt #littlebrother #missmypuppy
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Missy Franklin [COLOR="#808080"]19 October 2014[/COLOR] Just because fall and pumpkins make me so happy[SIZE=3]��������[/SIZE] #peekaboopumpkin
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[SIZE=4]As (Very) Fast Friends, Two Young Americans Balance at Sport's Peak[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky Adjust to Life as Swimming's Royalty[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]By KAREN CROUSE, The New York Times [COLOR="#808080"]AUG. 16, 2014 [/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Colorado's Missy Franklin, Kara Lynn Joyce "Touch the Wall" in film[/SIZE] By Joanne Ostrow, Denver Post Television Critic [COLOR="#696969"]Posted: 10/02/2014 03:43:14 PM MDT[/COLOR]
"Touch the Wall," a feature-length documentary film about Colorado's Olympic swim champions Missy Franklin and Kara Lynn Joyce, will have its world premiere [U]Saturday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m.[/U] at Denver's Buell Theatre as part of the Starz Denver Film Festival.
Filmmakers Grant Berbeito and Christo Brock will be present along with the film subjects, Gold-medalist Franklin and Silver-medalist Joyce, for a red carpet presentation and an on-stage Q&A.
The documentary chronicles the journey of the two women swimmers to the 2012 London Olympics.
"This is a true Colorado story, as identifiable as the Rockies, the altitude or the ruggedness of its people. I think it's had a lot to do with who Missy and Kara are as athletes and women - and what kind of champions they've become," director-producer Brock said in a release.
"Missy Franklin and Kara Lynn Joyce are not only Colorado heroes, but an inspiration across the globe. A focus of our festival is to celebrate the achievements of women and it is a true honor to share this motivational story with our audience," said festival director Britta Erickson. "We couldn't be prouder to premiere "Touch the Wall" and host both Missy and Kara Lynn in their home state."
[COLOR="#696969"]By [COLOR="#B22222"]Daliah Singer[/COLOR] October 23 2014, 1:30 PM[/COLOR]
Five hundred and ninety-three days before the Olympic Trials for the 2012 London Olympics. That's when we meet then 14-year-old Missy Franklin in Touch the Wall, a documentary premiering next month at the 2014 Starz Denver Film Festival (November 1223). We watch Missy try to keep her eyes open as she arrives at the pool for a 5 a.m. practice. We see her in the gym doing dry land training. We listen to her talk about why she swims. In essence: the work that led up to her five medals and two world records in London (and a state championship with her high school team).
But this 101-minute documentary is not just a sports filmthe rarely seen female sports documentary at thatand it's more than simply a profile of an up-and-coming athlete. Rather, it's a study of the life of an athlete, contrasting a young(er) Franklin, who is just entering the media parade, and Kara Lynn Joyce, a four-time Olympic silver medalist who is discovering that trying to make an Olympic team at age 26 is much different than it was at 18.
Joyce moved to Colorado to train with Franklin and her coach Todd Schmitz. Says Franklin: "Kara had a huge influence on me. She really brought my level of training up. Everything changed with her." But as Missy's star rises with each race, Joyce finds herself struggling to find the joy in swimming she once had. Out of the pool, we watch the two navigate more personal events like prom (Franklin) and a new relationship (Joyce). It's a fascinating watch, one that is amplified by stunning shots and the real-life bond directors Grant Barbeito and Christo Brock made with both athletes. The audience, too, gets to make that connection as they spend almost two yearsincluding what Franklin calls her "awkward years" with the swimmers.
Inspiring. Enlightening. An insider's perspective. Touch the Wall has all the things fans of sports documentaries want. It also presents precisely what Franklin hoped it would: "I think people have a very good idea that, yeah, it takes a lot of work and sacrifice to make it to your goals and achieve your dreams, but this will really give an idea of exactly what every athlete at that level and every athlete aspiring to that level does every single day. And for people to see me as me: who I am, who I've been, and who I've grown into. I'm fighting for my dreams and my goals just like everyone else. I'm the most normal and average 19-year-old sophomore in college that you can come across." Well, maybe not that normal.
Details: Touch the Wall premieres Saturday, November 15, at 2 p.m. at the Buell Theatre. The 2014 Starz Denver Film Festival red carpet event will feature an appearance by Franklin and Joyce for a Q&A following the screening. Tickets are $15 and are expected to sell out.
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Missy Franklin [COLOR="#696969"]24 Oct[/COLOR] An emotional night watching @touchthewall with Kara! Thank you Grant and Christo for showing our journeys in such a true but sensitive way [COLOR="#FF0000"][SIZE=4]❤️[/SIZE][/COLOR]
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[COLOR="#008000"][SIZE=3][U]Touch the Wall[/U] Movie CLIP - "I'm Not Famous" (2014) - Missy Franklin Swimming Documentary HD [/SIZE][/COLOR]
[SIZE=4][COLOR="#B22222"]Impact 10:[/COLOR] [COLOR="#696969"]No. 3[/COLOR] Missy Franklin[/SIZE] By [COLOR="#B22222"]Jane McManus[/COLOR] | Oct 15, 2014 espnW.com
[COLOR="#696969"]Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin lands at No. 3 on espnW's Impact 10 list -- the female athletes who made the biggest impact in 2013.[/COLOR]
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[COLOR="DimGray"][Photo: Missy Franklin, team player, in Barcelona, by Patrick B. Kraemer][/COLOR]
[COLOR="DimGray"][Photo: All smiles from Missy Franklin, right, and Federica Pellegrini in Barcelona after the 200m free final, by Aniko Kovacs][/COLOR]
[COLOR="DimGray"][Photo: Patrick B. Kraemer][/COLOR] 
[COLOR="DimGray"][Photo: Natalie Coughlin, courtesy of Speedo][/COLOR]
