Missy Franklin led the Cal Bears to a 1-2-3 finish in the women’s 100 backstroke with her time of 59.38. Rachel Boostma and Liz Pelton were second and third at 1:00.71 and 1:00.76. That should give Pelton a spot on the Pan Pacs roster. Kathleen Baker was first to the wall at the 50 and held on to finish fourth with her time of 1:00.90.
Olivia Smoliga finished fifth at 1:01.08, followed by Clara Smiddy at 1:01.37 for sixth.
Cheyenne Coffman finished seventh at 1:01.57 and Ali Deloof was eighth at 1:02.21.
Melanie Klaren won the B-final of the women’s 100 backstroke with her time of 1:01.81. Sarah Denninghoff finished second at 1:01.99.
Kylie Stewart won the C-final of the women’s 100 backstroke at 1:01.62.
Happy for the Cal girls even if apart from Missy, the times were slow.
Missy has swum a very good race. It was cool to see the backstroke queen back at her real level in her specialty. She had a very strong finish.
However, his start is always as awful. 😆 She has the same recurrent problem since the first time I’ve watched her in 2009. No improvement at all since she’s at Cal. It’s curious. Bootsma, Pelton or Coughlin could give her some advice. And Teri McKeever is a great backstroke coach. I know Missy will never be a great starter, but between bad and great you have decent. If she wants to break the world record… Read more »
6’3″ & not reed thin is a lot of girl to push off the wall up & over the barrel. I doubt she could do it either in a kids gymnastics emporium . The time she spent trying to change her physicality is the time she is losing doing an endurance set for her NCAA 500 . Or partying .
A snake might not launch itself off a riverbank fast but once off it can slither at alarming speed . Then there are hippos who don’t bother even moving & unleash a burst of massive power. Or an alligator with its extreme reaction speed. Everyone is different & as long as youwin ( or eat/ escape/ defend your teritory )… Read more »