Morning Splash: Olympians Missy Franklin and Tom Shields Take Aim At Signature Events

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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By David Rieder

Missy Franklin stood in the mixed zone speaking with reporters, a massive burden clearly lifted off her shoulders. Franklin had finished second in the 200 free, securing her spot on the Olympic team after a disappointing seventh-place finish in the 100 back the night before.

But then Franklin got distracted by the screen behind her that showed a slightly-delayed video feed of the men’s 200 fly final. “Come on, Tom!” she cheered as Tom Shields, like Franklin a former NCAA champion at Cal Berkeley, was holding onto the second spot and even gaining on Michael Phelps.

“Yay, Tom!” Franklin screamed as Shields touched the wall for his first-ever Olympic berth.

After the swim, I asked Shields how he managed to hold on and get to the wall on the last 50, a spot in the race where he typically struggles.

“Anger,” Shields responded. “Anger at you guys. Every single one of you bet against me. That drives me. Just like it drives anybody.”

Admittedly, I did bet against Shields—in my bold predictions for day four, I picked Phelps and Jack Conger to be the two American representatives heading to Rio for the 200 fly. But in the 100 fly, I picked Shields. And as Shields goes into his signature event tomorrow, all the pressure is lifted.

Even though the outcome was exactly what Shields had desired, the time of 1:55.81 was nothing special and may not even be enough to final at the Olympic Games. Similarly, Franklin’s 1:56.18 will not be nearly enough for a medal in a crowded field in Rio that will include fellow American and gold medal favorite Katie Ledecky, Italy’s Federica Pellegrini, Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom and Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu.

But both are on the team. Outside of a few select races Trials has not been an especially quick meet, but times here simply do not matter. Get first or second and you’re a winner. Get third, and you’re going home. Franklin and Shields both got second Wednesday night. No one can win Olympic medals in Omaha, and both will have their chances to swim faster once they get to Rio.

But with that said, maybe these two will be able to open things up a bit now and put up good, quality times in their signature events.

Franklin will compete in the 200 back beginning this morning. The 100 freestyle did not go her way Thursday night as she finished a disappointing 11th in 54.24, but she has appeared much more comfortable this week in races of the 200-meter distance, and the 200 back has long been her signature event. It was the one in which she won her first World title in 2011, and she holds the world record in the event with a 2:04.06 set on her way to Olympic gold in 2012.

But Emily Seebohm got the better of Franklin in last year’s World Championship final, blasting a 31.14 final split to swim right past a fading Franklin. Franklin will without a doubt want to post a strong swim as she seeks to right the ship when the two meet again in Rio.

Franklin admitted Wednesday night that it had been difficult to deal with all of the expectations of greatness that resulted from her four-gold effort in London and then her six victories at the World Championships a year later. But in a sport where momentum can quickly snowball in the wrong direction, Franklin did not let one bad final completely derail her mentality.

Her poor start and turns will not be a major hindrance in the 200 back as they were in the two-lapper, and she looked strong the last 15 meters of her 100 back. Franklin figures to be a huge favorite—she enters the event as top seed, almost two seconds ahead of Maya DiRado—so she should be able to relax and focus on her own race without much worry about getting caught.

As for Shields, the 200 fly has been a decent event for him over the past several years—he was the U.S. National champion in the event in 2014 and finished eighth in the event at the World Championships last summer—but it’s the 100 fly where he’s made an impact internationally.

Shields was the top qualifier into the 100 fly final in Kazan with a time of 51.03, and he swam just a tick slower to finish a close fourth in the final. A day later he pitched in with a 50.59 fly split on the 400 medley relay that proved valuable as anchor Nathan Adrian held off Australia’s Cameron McEvoy by just 0.15 to win the gold medal.

Phelps will again be favored to win the 100 fly—he faded badly down the stretch of his 200 fly, but the speed he showed in his excellent front half should translate into a strong performance in the shorter distance. But Shields should have a sub-51 swim in the tank, too, and it’s not clear that anyone else in the field can get down to that level this week.

Franklin needed to qualify for her second Olympic team and Shields his first. Both felt the pressure, and after perhaps-messy but certainly-effective races Wednesday night, that pressure has let up.

Both are swimming in their signature events this morning. And perhaps in those finals they’ll be ready for signature performances.

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Mitzi Gainer
Mitzi Gainer
7 years ago

“… in a sport where momentum can quickly snowball in the wrong direction…”

Got any real data to back that statement, or is it simply the ill-informed words of a supposed sports authority. Big Mo indeed.

hamsami
hamsami
7 years ago

Go Bears

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