The team of Missy Franklin and Todd Schmitz have teamed up for quite a few successes in their career. Four Olympic gold medals, a FINA World Swimmer of the Year Award, three World Records, and the Age Group Coach of the Year award from ASCA and Colorado Swimming were among the honors bestowed upon the pair.
In Barcelona, they will have their last hurrah as a formal duo, though anybody who sees them together knows that through all of their training and travels, they’ve developed a bond that will last together.
As the U.S. team arrived in Bilbao, Spain on Wednesday for their pre World Championship training camp, Missy and Todd took the time to snap and share some photos of the camp. As the team got in rather late and were exhausted after over a full day of travel, they ate dinner in the hotel and though they got the chance to scope out the facilities, most have opted against a swim for tonight in favor of an early bed-time.
Remember that Spain is 6 hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast time. The positive note is that after the grueling travel, most swimmers will be plenty exhausted and have no trouble getting to sleep tonight, which should be a huge assist in overcoming jet-lag.
Thanks to Missy and Todd for sharing, and best of luck to both over the next two weeks and beyond as both venture toward more successes in the future.
Training pool in Spain for USA worlds camp, Todd Schmitz
Hotel Lobby where team USA is staying in Bilbao, Spain at their pre-World Championship training camp. (Thanks to Missy Franklin for sharing)
Hey! they are staying in Vitoria-Gasteiz!! Capital of the Basque Country!!! that’s not Spain, isn’t it????
The city is Vitoria – Gasteiz.
BILBAO NOT.
Passed, you can swim in that. A centre can’t be too old as the pool has room for ten lines. Thanks for the view!
As for overcoming jet lag I’d say it’s easier when traveling eastwards. And because the flight times seemed to have been perfect for overcoming it, i.e. they had evening arrival which allows going to bed after being up for a long time, I’m sure your team is already alive and kicking after a good night’s sleep at the right time.
Wow! Now that is NICE!
Thanks for your article.
If you want to meet them you should go to the town near Bilbao of Vitoria, a city with a top quality installations for swiming and other sports.
But it is not only installations, population here really uses these installations. Vitoria-Gasteiz has the highest ratio of citizens paying the anual rate to enter the broad swimming installations of the city (33% of inhabitants pay the anual fee for swimming and sports installations). (I am giving private tours here so that is why I know this kind of numbers, hehe)
Hope that they will enjoy pre-worlds in Vitoria-Gasteiz and that they will be success in the world championships.
Enjoy Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao!
Aitor Delgado
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