INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana: Olympic stars Missy Franklin and Ryan Lochte shared the spotlight last night, both claiming a pair of titles at the US swimming championships and World Championships trials.
Franklin’s night began with a win in the women’s 200-meter freestyle at the Indiana University Natatorium.
Ahead by a body length at the halfway mark, she touched the wall in one minute 55.56 seconds followed by Katie Ledecky in 1:57.63, Shannon Vreeland in 1:58.13 and Jordan Mattern in 1:58.27.
The win qualified Franklin -- the winner of four gold medals and one bronze at the 2012 London Olympics -- for the 200 free at the World Championships in Barcelona, July 28-August 4.
She also made the American 4x200 freestyle relay team, along with Ledecky -- the winner of Tuesday’s 800 free event -- Vreeland and Mattern.
Less than 90 minutes later, the recent high school graduate won the women’s 200 backstroke in 2:05.68, the world’s fastest time this year and an American open record as the best-ever performance in the US.
Franklin maintained a lead throughout to finish ahead of Elizabeth Pelton, whose 2:06.29 clocking was the world’s second-fastest of 2013.
“That last fifty hurt so much,” she said. “I’m ecstatic with the 2:05. But I’m definitely hurting now.”
With three days to go at nationals, Franklin is eligible for five events at Worlds. Her first-place finish in Tuesday’s 100 free earned her a berth in that event as well as a spot the American 4x100 relay squad.
Lochte, the winner of five Olympic medals in London (two gold, two silver, one bronze), won the men’s 200-meter free and came back an hour-and-a-half later to finish first in the 200 backstroke.
Swimming in lane two in the 200 free, Lochte led at the first turn and was never headed.
He finished in 1:45.97 ahead of Conor Dwyer, Matt McLean and Charlie Houchin. The quartet will comprise the US men’s 4x100m relay team at Worlds.
In Lochte’s second event of the night, he outduelled 2012 Olympic champion Tyler Clary in the 200 backstroke. Lochte won in 1:55.16 with Clary the runnerup in 1:55.58.
In major surprise, Allison Schmitt failed to qualify for the women’s 200 freestyle final. Schmitt, the American record holder in the event, was the 2012 Olympic champion. She also swam on the gold medal-winning US 4x200 freestyle relay team in London.REUTERS
