Editorial Coverage Sponsored By FINIS
By Cassidy Lavigne, Swimming World College Intern
Everyone, from new swimmers to professional athletes to ordinary people know that sometimes, things don’t work out like we would hope. Swimming is a sport that requires years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication. Swimmers know this hard work is well worth it when we see a best time, or feel our stroke become more powerful with every lengthy practice.
But what happens when the hours of hard work and time spent at the pool don’t pay off? Missy Franklin showed the world what all swimmers have faced at some point in their careers: a bad meet.
Accepting Failure
Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Swimming is a brutal sport that is both physically and mentally demanding. One of the most valuable lessons a swimmer will take away from the sport is the ability to accept failure. After not qualifying for finals in the 200 meter backstroke or the 200 meter freestyle, Franklin described Rio as “the hardest week of my life,” in an interview with Good Morning America. But being the great sportswoman and teammate that she is, Franklin held her head up high for the rest of the week and cheered on her team.
Swimming is tricky because the smallest error can ruin a race. On the other hand, making simple changes to a turn, or stroke technique can lead to drastic changes and time drops. So what happens after a bad meet? Some meets and races that don’t go well will haunt swimmers for the rest of their careers. But this is where the strong will of swimmers comes into play. Every swimmer has had the moment where they question everything and ask themselves why they continue to swim or what would happen if they just stopped.
Just Keep Swimming
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
The questioning and doubting of our athletic career is what swimmers have to constantly battle, especially after a bad meet. As cliche as it sounds– after a bad practice, race, meet, or season, just keep swimming. This is exactly what Franklin plans to do. After taking a break from the NCAA and putting her degree on hold to go pro and train for Rio, Franklin plans to return to Cal Berkeley and continue her college experience.
In a post-race interview at the Games, Franklin was asked if there was an injury or other factor that could have contributed to her performance in Rio. “I did the best I possibly could and it just wasn’t my week,” Franklin responded, “I wish I could tell you there [was an injury] but that’s sport. Sometimes you do everything you possibly can and it’s still not there.”
Franklin demonstrated maturity and incredible sportsmanship following a bad meet in Rio. Moreover, she showed that even the elites and Olympic-level athletes have their off days. Franklin is optimistic about continuing her swimming and Olympic career. When describing the struggles of sport and being an athlete, she says “It’s those times you have to keep your head high and keep pushing forward.”
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The Campbell sisters from Australia didn’t do that well either. Simone Manuel upstaged them twice, so Missy was not alone
Good point. Everyone was talking about the Campbell sisters but yeah, they got upstaged every time.
A lot of focus on missy but many swimmers had a bad meet .. The Campbell sisters and Ryan Lochte to name just two .. I feel sorry for her that she’s been singled out as ‘The underperforming swimmer”
I should have said ” to name just three” ?Ah well
So proud of you Missy. You are a true sportswoman and a great example for young swimmers everywhere. Thank you.
Today BBC Sport listed Missy Franklin as one of 10 potential stars for the 2020 Olympics: http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/37150198
How doesn’t she know what’s going on? Bad week? Bad meet? That is what Cate Campbell can say. Great season, great relay splits and mishaps with individual races.
Missy Franklin had bad entire season. Not once since World Championships in Kazan she showed something promising. Neither at backstroke nor at freestyle. There was some hope after 1:56.16 at 200 free at trials, but it followed by 1:57.56 in Rio. That is 1.2% drop just in four weeks. More than 2 sec slower her time in Kazan. Her 1:57.03 in 4×200 relay confirmed that that is the level where she is now.
So what’s happened? Just one year ago incredible1:39 at 200y, medal at WC with very respectable 1:55.4, best American sprinter with 53.6 at 100 and nothing like that since September 2015.
If she or her coach are not going to give better explanation than just bad meet then we will see a great deal of conspiracy theories. For instance, this drop in performance perfectly coincides with the WADA’s notification about coming ban on meldonium.
It actually makes sense YY. I see why you can suspect.
Probably she’s not doping, it likely has more to do with going back to Colorado; she lost her tight-knit team, time with her boyfriend, and easier access to her friends in the pro group at Cal who have learned how to successfully juggle being newly pro with her training– Rowdy who talked to her said that she had a hard time saying no to anything this year. Schmitt is a great coach but swimming against age groupers instead of Olympians now? she’s outgrown that.
Most common issues are :
1—injury–apparently not the case
2–over-trained and tired
3–under-trained and ‘flat’
4–not enough speed-work
What swimmers would like to know (and what they may NEVER know) is what happened? The important thing is that she and her coach know so there will not be a repeat.
I hope Missey returns to her world record form.
Rio was certainly trying for Missy, but she conducted herself in truly classy fashion in what must have been one of the more disappointing meets of her swimming career. A great example of American swimming.
Missy did not just have a BAD MEET as indicated. She has been having poor times for a long time and did not even qualify to represent the USA in 2 of the events she got gold for in London. Thats already an indication she was not up to the Olympic potential that she demonstrated so visibly in London 4 years ago. No matter what happens in the future, she will always have London 2012 where she shined so visibly. Best of luck in the future Missy. I hope we see you in the Olympics again.
Agreed that the “bad meet” theory is completely off base. In reality, Miss Franklin just isn’t the swimmer she was three to four years ago. If you look at her times in her specialty, backstroke, she peaked in 2012 and ’13, and it’s been downhill ever since. The downward slide really began after she went to UC Berkeley.
2012
100m back: 58.33 (gold medal London Games)
200m back: 2:04.06 (gold medal London, world record)
2013
100m back: 58.39 (gold medal Barcelona World Championships)
200m back: 2:04.76 (gold medal Barcelona)
2015 (at Cal)
100m back: 59.40 (third best time in world)
200m back: 2:06.34 (eighth best in world)
2016
100m back: 59.80 (18th in world)
200m back: 2:07.89 (11th in world)
That’s a substantial decline: 1.5 seconds in 100 back and 3.8 seconds in the 200. Seems pretty clear that she’s no longer one of the world’s best. But this is not new; the history of swimming is littered with stories of swimmers who peaked early and then were never the same afterward: Kate Ziegler, Katie Hoff, heck, even Janet Evans.
It may be time to add Missy Franklin to that list.