Anyone who wants to beat Missy Franklin in the pool needs to put in a lot of training hours – or have some major handicaps. That was the case on the new TV show “Beat the Champions,” which aired Tuesday on the Fox television network.
According to the show, journalist Arielle Raycene was a competitive swimmer in Kansas who turned to cheerleading in high school. She wanted to rely on her previous swimming experience to take down a four-time Olympic gold medalist in the three rounds of competition.
In the first round, Raycene and Franklin swam 100 meters, with Raycene getting a 25-meter lead. Franklin won by about five seconds, while Raycene clutched the wall at the finish and gasped for air.
For the second round, Franklin was wrapped in cellophane around her legs, preventing her from using that strong kick that has helped her motor past her competition. Franklin had no problem with the 50-meter swim, especially given that Raycene did not get a head start.
In the final round, Franklin experienced the torment that most elite swimmers face daily. She towed five large water jugs as a bit of resistance racing. Also hindering her progress was a fireman spraying water at her to offer a bit of resistance. Raycene’s advantage was a current of water pushing her down the pool by another fireman’s hose. Raycene finally got the better of Franklin, winning by a body length.
“I think I just found a new way to train,” Franklin said. “I think I’m going to take these (jugs) back to Colorado.”
Raycene won $25,000 for beating Franklin in the final round. “I always wanted to go to the Olympics,” an emotional Raycene said. “I felt like I won my little Olympics.”
Franklin isn’t the first Olympic swimming champion to be challenged to a swimming race and answer that challenge on national television. Michael Phelps raced basketball star Shaquille O’Neal in a series of races in a 2009 special on ABC called “Shaq Vs.” Phelps, for example, tried to complete 75 yards before O’Neal could finish 50 yards and tried to complete a 200 individual medley against a 200 medley relay that included O’Neal, Rebecca Soni, Ariana Kukors and Dana Vollmer.
Former basketball star Scottie Pippen and New England Patriots player Rob Gronkowski also took part in challenges on the show. Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Finesse Mitchell served as host.
This chic said she “joined a professional swim team” and “qualified all the way up to Zones which is right next to Olympic trials.” Are you F’ing with me? This just goes to show how little people know about swimming that they actually put that on tv
Yes, that was a bit of a shock to hear her say Zones was essentially the step before Olympic Trials. But, of course, the producer of the show and others who would have seen the footage before it aired likely were not competitive swimmers and would not have second-guessed someone who had been a swimmer.