GoPro: Finding Missy - Part 1 Hawaiian Escape
The best sights from Monday"s action. USA TODAY Sports
Missy Franklin of the USA did not reach the final of the 200 freestyle relay.(Photo: Rob Schumacher, USA TODAY Sports)
RIO DE JANEIRO Missy Franklins signature ear-to-ear grin was gone, replaced by a shaky voice and eyes full of tears.
Four years after her spin as the darling of the London Olympics with five medals, Franklin was trying to understand the catastrophe of Monday night: In her first eventof these Rio Games, she finished last in her 200-meter freestyle semifinal heat and failed to qualify for the final. Her time (1:57.56) was a half-second slower than her preliminary heat swim earlier in the day.
I did the best that I could, Franklin said. Ill talk to my coaches and see what happened. I felt like I tried a lot harder than this morning so to go slower, its just one of those things Ive been trying to wrap my mind around this year, whats been going wrong but I havent been able to figure it out.
You dont always understand everything and understanding isnt always going to bring you peace so its just knowing that Gods with me no matter what and Ive got to keep fighting and keep believing in His plan.
Franklin seemed and truly is confused about this. Her coaches are, too, though they understand its been a challenging four-year stretch for the now 21-year-old. There was the back injury in 2014, and the tough decision to leave Cal to return her former age-group coach Todd Schmitz to train in the leadup to these games. There was the rough transition to the life of professional swimming, and the understanding of how exhausting sponsor and media obligations can be.
It all culminated in a disappointing U.S. trials six weeks ago the first quiver in which Franklin failed to qualify for the Olympic team in two of the five events she swam in London. She missed the chance to defend her gold medal in the 100 backstroke, and in doing so, missed a spot on the medley relay.
Franklin bounced back, securing roster spots in the 200 free, 200 back and the 4x200 relay. According to head U.S. womens coach David Marsh, Franklin then went on to have a very productive training camp.
Shes been looking great at camp; she didnt look as good (Monday) as she did at camp, Marsh said. Her backstroke also looked really great at camp, so were going to ask her to really reset and focus on that, and on the relay situation. Those are the things that are the next priority. Shes had a tough year, and I think we all know that shes wearing it a little bit. Thats not her. Shes best when shes joyful.
Marsh said he hopes Mondays swim is just one bad swim, not a sign of things to come the rest of the week.
But he also knows the weight that Franklin is carrying on her shoulders, which doesnt make preparing for the 200 back and the 4x200 relay any easier.
I think the enormity of being here and the expectations of being here theyre not really measurable, but you certainly can see them all around, Marsh said. Most importantly, her expectations of herself to do this.
Were all just loving on Missy. Shes such a wonderful person. Literally anybody will do anything to help her. Its just small baby steps forward.
Franklins next swim will likely come Wednesday afternoon in the preliminaries of the4x200 relay.
PHOTOS: SWIMMING AT THE RIO OLYMPICS
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