Missy Franklin

Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin held world records in a number of swimming competitions, including the 100- and 200 meters backstroke and 100 meters medley relay, and gained nearly all of these before the age of 20. Born Melissa Jeanette Franklin in Pasadena, California she was the daughter of Dick Franklin, a former offensive lineman for the Canadian Football League, who moved the family to Centennial, Colorado, for his work with the Coors Brewing Company. Missy was encouraged by her mother, D.A. Franklin, to learn to swim at an early age, and she soon developed a passion for the sport that led to competing with the swim team at her high school, the private all-girls Regis Jesuit School. Her gift for the sport allowed her to compete at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska at the age of 13; though she did not qualify for any events there, her performance at the 2010 National Championships gained her a spot at the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships, where she placed fourth. Franklin rose to international prominence later that year she placed second in the 200 meters backstroke at the 2010 Short Course World Championships in Dubai. She quickly amassed a sizable war chest of medals at international competitions in 2011, including three gold medals at the World Aquatics Championship in Shanghai, her first national titles at the National Championships in Palo Alto, California, and record-breaking matches in the 200 meters backstroke and 100 meters medley relay at the FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Cup. While still a junior in high school, Franklin qualified for the 100 meters and 200 meters backstroke at the 2012 Olympics in London; there, she won gold medals in both events, and earned two more as a member of the 200 meters freestyle relay and 100 meters medley relay. The 2013 high school graduate continued to stun world swimming observers at the 2013 World Championships, claiming six gold medals at seven events there, and fought a back injury to claim gold the 2014 Pan Pacific Championship. She paused briefly to join the University of California Berkeley in 2013, and cemented her association with the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) by turning down sponsorship deals to retain her eligibility within that organization. At the 2014 NCAA championships, she set records at the 200 meters freestyle, and finally announced her decision to turn professional before the 2015 World Championships. Though her performance in individual events there was somewhat less stellar than in previous competitions, Franklin still won gold as part of the 100 meters relay and 200 meters relay.