Missy Franklin Returning To Colorado For World Champs Preparation
Missy Franklin is going back to her home state of Colorado for a couple of months to train with Todd Schmitz at the Colorado Stars as she looks ahead to this summer’s world championships.
Franklin enjoyed immense success this past college season with Teri McKeever at the University of California-Berkeley, and could continue that trajectory as she returns to the coach that put her on the path of becoming an international sensation. The added bonus of training at altitude was likely a big draw, as was being at home with her parents in a comfortable and familiar environment. She’s now a professional swimmer with much riding on her first big championship meet in that capacity.
Franklin won six gold medals at the 2013 world championships (200 free, 100 and 200 back, all three relays), the most ever by a woman at one world championships.
Below, the full statement from Franklin:
I will be training for the summer in Colorado at high altitude. I’ll be working with my former coach Todd Schmitz and trainer Loren Landow in the Denver area and will also plan to spend some time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Changing my training location was an extremely tough decision to make as I will really miss swimming with the team at Cal and working with the coaching staff. They have all been very supportive of my decision, including Coach McKeever, who encouraged me to make the move so I could be closer my family in an environment that has always been a great fit for me.
Following World Championships, I will decide where I’ll be training as I prepare for 2016 Olympic Trials.
She is such joy.
I don’t think there will be anyone at her club team that will be able to push her in workouts the way the Cal swimmers can. She will definitely get pushed at the Olympic Training Center. I wish her the best.
I don’t think one needs to have people to race in practice to be a success. Most of the world recorders were probably the best in their respective events. I think it is a bit over rated.
Missy will show who the real Queen of swimming is 🙂
This is a real shame because you could actually get a good education at Cal if you want to do so. But, it’s not that surprising because hardly any swimmers who turn pro before getting their undergraduate degree ever graduate. Perhaps Tyler Clary did because he was back in Ann Arbor for about a year after the 2012 Olympics, but besides him, I’ve don’t think anyone has.
Missy has always stated that she will get a college degree. It’s very likely that will be from UC-Berkeley.
What else was she supposed to say? Difficult to see her returning to Cal during her prime marketability post Rio to maintain status at Cal. The fear of not training at altitude for the big meets was most likely a major decider. Has anyone ever published an analysis of the lasting physical benefits of high altitude training? Seems similar to the challenge of maintaining muscle mass; the body just naturally defaults to the status quo to preserve energy unless the stimulus is maintained.
Just about every swimmer who has turned pro early has said they will still go to college and graduate, but as far as I can tell, none ever have, which is really disappointing. One of the really good things about swimming is how many swimmers excel academically at college and are able to go onto a meaningful life after college. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that some of the best college swim programs in the United States are at universities that are among the best academic institutions in the world. You are losing something really significant if you don’t take advantage of a free education at a school like Cal.
I don’t think Clary ever got his degree. Hopefully he will
Tom Shields graduated from Cal after turning pro.
Didn’t Tom Shields swim at Cal for four years?