FROM LEFT: Missy Franklin, Jessica Hardy, Dana Vollmer and Megan Romano celebrate on the podium during the award ceremony of the women’s 4x100m medley relay in the FINA World Championships at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, yesterday. RIGHT: Gold medallist China’s Sun Yang celebrates on the podium during the award ceremony of the men’s 1,500m freestyle.
BARCELONA: American teenager Missy Franklin became the first woman to win six golds at a single world championships when she helped the United States to victory in the 4x100 metres medley relay yesterday.
The 18-year-old swam the opening, backstroke leg in the hilltop pool in Barcelona and the US triumph followed her titles this week in 100 and 200 backstroke, 200 freestyle and the 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle relays.
She was fourth in Friday’s 100 freestyle.
“It hurt really, really bad but now we’re all done and we’re all super excited,” a still-dripping Franklin, who is due to sign on at University of California, Berkeley later this year, told reporters.
“I think I’m going to take my time off until I get to Berkeley so I think that gives me about two and a half weeks. We’re all pretty excited about it.”
Franklin’s sixth gold is one more than the previous record of five she jointly held with compatriot Tracy Caulkins and Australia’s Libby Trickett.
The only other woman to win six golds at a major swimming meet was East German Kristin Otto at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
Chinese star Sun Yang completed the set of long-distance freestyle world titles with a commanding performance to win the 1500m final.
After victories earlier in the week in the 400 and 800m, Sun, 21, picked up his third gold in Barcelona, taking the final in 14min 41.15sec, with Canada’s Ryan Cochrane 1.33sec back for silver and Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri 4.22 adrift in third.
Although Cochrane led for the early stages, Sun stayed on his shoulder, then drew level and powered away in the final 50 metres to defend the title he won two years ago in Shanghai.
Camille Lacourt of France won gold in the men’s 50 metres backstroke.
Lacourt, silver medallist at the last championships in Shanghai two years ago, clocked a time of 24.42 seconds, with compatriot Jeremy Stravius and American Matt Grevers tying for second with a race time of 24.54 seconds.
Yuliya Efimova of Russia won gold in the women’s 50 metres breaststroke.
Efimova, silver medallist at the last edition in Shanghai two years ago and champion in Rome in 2009, clocked a time of 29.52 seconds.
World record holder Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania took silver in 29.59 and American defending champion Jessica Hardy took bronze in 29.80.
Japanese teenager Daiya Seto won gold in the men’s 400 metres individual medley.
The 19-year-old clocked a time of four minutes 8.69 seconds, with American Chase Kalisz, also 19, taking silver in 4:09.22 and Thiago Pereira of Brazil bronze in 4:09.48.
Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands won gold in the women’s 50 metres freestyle.
Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu won the women’s 400m individual medley gold with Spain’s Mireia Belmonte second and Elizabeth Beisel of the USA third.
France won the men’s 4x100m medley relay gold with Australia second and Japan third after defending champions USA were disqualified.
Although Nathan Adrian of the USA touched the wall first, judges ruled Kevin Cordes had dived in too early on the second leg, causing the disqualififcation.
The French quartet clocked 3min 31.51sec with Australia at 0.13 back and Japan at 0.75 adrift.
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