Missy Franklin Johnson and Hayes Johnson Announce Birth of Daughter, Sarah Caitlin Johnson
Missy Franklin Johnson, the five-time Olympic gold medalist and former world-record holder in the 200 backstroke, has announced that she and husband Hayes Johnson have welcomed their first child, daughter Sarah Caitlin Johnson. She was born Wednesday at 4:17 a.m., and her August 11 birthday is shared with Missy’s father, Dick.
Check out the Instagram post below.
The Johnsons announced they were expecting a child in March after they were married in 2019. Johnson is himself a former swimmer at the University of Texas (also a backstroke specialist), while Franklin burst onto the scene as a national-level contender when she was just 15. She was only 16 when she won her first three world titles, including in the 200 backstroke, and then she won four gold medals (including both individual backstroke events) at the 2012 Olympics. That’s when she set the world record in the longer backstroke race that would last for seven years.
Franklin earned six gold medals at the 2013 World Championships, and then she swam for two years at Cal before turning professional. She remains the American-record holder in the 200-yard free with her 1:39.10 from the 2015 NCAA championships, which she has called one of the best swims of her career, as she led the Golden Bears to an NCAA team championship.
Franklin struggled at the 2016 Olympics, missing the final in both the 200 free and 200 back, but she did win a gold medal as part of the U.S. women’s 800 free relay (she swam in prelims only). Franklin then took some time away of the sport before attempting comebacks, first training with Dave Durden and the Cal men and then with Jack Bauerle at the University of Georgia, where she eventually earned her college degree. Because of shoulder issues, Franklin could only swim freestyle at the 2018 U.S. Nationals, and she retired from swimming several months after that meet.