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SPORTSFriday 4 March 2016
Missy Franklin hopes frustrating year will push her for Rio
PAUL NEWBERRY In this Jan. 16, 2016, file photo, Missy Franklin watches the results board of the women’s 200-meter backstroke during the Arena
AP National Writer Pro Swim Series, in Austin, Texas.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Get
this: There are times when Associated Press
Missy Franklin is frustrated.
OK, it’s not as if she’s sud- peal, though she didn’t last year, setting up some “You know what? This may went so well.
denly turned all cranky and cash in right away since major endorsement deals not be happening right “She missed a bronze
rude. The Olympic cham- she wanted to compete heading into Rio (she’s al- now,” she said. “It’s OK to medal in the 200 free by a
pion still walks around the collegiately. ready landed with Spee- be frustrated, but use it for hundredth of a second,”
pool with a perpetual smile. After two years at Cal, do and Minute Maid). But, something good. I promise Schmitz recalled. “She can
But subpar performances Franklin finally turned pro while she has a lot more you, it’s going to pay off usually dig down and find
over the past year have money in her pocket, it’s when it needs to.” that motivation, but some-
started to get under her been a struggle to regain In addition to turning pro, times I’ll say, ‘Hundredth of
skin a bit. the form that made her Franklin moved back to her a second.’ That’s all I have
With the Rio Games just five the world’s most dominant Colorado home and reunit- to say.”
months away, she knows female swimmer — a title ed with longtime coach Away from the pool, Frank-
it’s time to start producing. ceded to fellow American Todd Schmitz. They’ve lin has started working on a
“I definitely don’t want to Katie Ledecky. been adapting to a new book with her parents. She
come off like everything At the 2015 world champi- style of coach-athlete re- calls it “a family memoir,” a
is happy all the time,” she onships, Franklin failed to lationship, one that the chance to reveal how the
said before this weekend’s win any of her four individ- 20-year-old swimmer calls three of them were “able
Arena Pro Series meet in ual events, settling for a sil- more of a partnership. to stay true to ourselves
Orlando, not far from the ver and two bronzes. In the “He knows I learned so and true to each other”
make-believe world of Dis- last Pro Series meet at Aus- much being away for two even as Franklin became a
ney. “When I come back tin, Texas, in January, she years, as a person and as teenage phenomenon.
from some of these meets, I again failed to win any indi- a swimmer,” Franklin said. Titled “Relentless Spirit,” the
am for sure frustrated.” vidual events and, tellingly, “When I was 17, he had to book is due in early De-
At 17, Franklin was one of trailed far behind Ledecky lay down the line a little bit cember.
the biggest stars at the Lon- in the 100- and 200-meter more. Now, we draw the You know what would help
don Olympics, competing freestyles. line together.” Schmitz has sales?
in seven events and win- “I left there being really prodded Franklin to turn A few more gold medals.
ning four gold medals and frustrated,” said Franklin, in- some of the tough times Franklin isn’t one to make
a bronze. Away from the sisting she did some of her into motivation leading to bold predictions. Like most
pool, her bubbly personal- hardest training before the Rio. “When you throw gas- swimmers, she can’t even
ity only enhanced her ap- meet. “Why is this not com- oline on an unlit match, it bring herself to say defini-
ing through? Why is this not doesn’t do anything,” the tively she’ll be in Rio since
being shown when I’m rac- coach said. “I think that’s she still has to go through
ing? I think it’s important to the same thing with Missy. the ultra-competitive U.S.
let yourself feel like that. If You’ve got to use that as Olympic trials.
you do kind of push those fuel on your fire. You don’t But she certainly hasn’t lost
things aside and pretend want to think about it too her confidence.
they’re not there, it’s all go- much, but you know what, “I trust that I’m on this path
ing to come back and hit there are some key times for a reason and I’m going
you when you don’t want where I’ve got to look at to do my best to live it out,”
it to.” her and go, ‘Hey.’” she said. “I have that faith
The key, she said, is using He’ll even bring up the Lon- that I’ll be ready when I
that angst the right way. don Olympics, where things need to be ready.”
