{"id":31610,"date":"2012-08-06T14:36:59","date_gmt":"2012-08-06T19:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/uncategorized\/2012\/08\/before-they-were-champions-a-look-back-at-early-swimming-success-of-missy-franklin-and-chad-le-clos\/"},"modified":"2014-07-29T02:07:04","modified_gmt":"2014-07-29T09:07:04","slug":"before-they-were-champions-a-look-back-at-early-swimming-success-of-missy-franklin-and-chad-le-clos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/before-they-were-champions-a-look-back-at-early-swimming-success-of-missy-franklin-and-chad-le-clos\/","title":{"rendered":"Before They Were Champions: A Look Back at Early Swimming Success of Missy Franklin and Chad Le Clos"},"content":{"rendered":"

Full wall-to-wall coverage, including photo galleries, athlete interviews, recaps and columns are available at the Event Landing Page<\/a><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

PHOENIX, Arizona, August 6. LONG before they became international sensations for their amazing performances at the London Aquatics Centre last week, Missy Franklin and Chad Le Clos were quietly taking aim on Olympic gold with fast swims at much younger ages at the junior level.<\/p>\n

Swimming World has tracked these two swimmers for the past three years, and looking back on some of their early accomplishments, it almost comes as no surprise that they now have Olympic gold medals draped around their necks.<\/p>\n

Franklin first made a name for herself at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, when she was just 13 years old. She didn't make much noise there, but her presence meant great things for her future. She didn't wait long to make due on that potential. At the 2009 junior nationals, Franklin won several events, including a 2:09.16 in the 200 back that put her in the top eight in American history.<\/p>\n

On Feb. 4, 2011, Franklin made her Morning Swim Show<\/i> debut, and her personality then was just as bubbly and infectious as it is today. <\/p>\n

“Even if I final in an event, that will mean the world to me,” Franklin said in the interview of her hopes for the 2011 world championships. She would go on to win five medals in Shanghai, three of them gold.<\/p>\n