Missy Franklin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Missy Franklin

Franklin in June 2013
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Missy, Missile
Born	(1995-05-10) May 10, 1995 (age 30) Pasadena, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in
Weight	165 lb
Spouse(s)	Hayes Johnson ​ (m. 2019)​
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Backstroke, freestyle, medley
Club	Colorado Stars
College team	University of California, Berkeley University of Georgia
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Summer Olympics 5 0 1 World Championships (LC) 11 2 3 World Championships (SC) 0 2 0 Pan Pacific Championships 1 2 1 Total 17 6 5 Olympic Games Gold 2012 London 100 m backstroke Gold 2012 London 200 m backstroke Gold 2012 London 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2012 London 4×100 m medley Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2012 London 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2011 Shanghai 200 m backstroke Gold 2011 Shanghai 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2011 Shanghai 4×100 m medley Gold 2013 Barcelona 100 m backstroke Gold 2013 Barcelona 200 m backstroke Gold 2013 Barcelona 200 m freestyle Gold 2013 Barcelona 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2013 Barcelona 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2013 Barcelona 4×100 m medley Gold 2015 Kazan 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2015 Kazan 4×100 m mixed freestyle Silver 2011 Shanghai 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2015 Kazan 200 m backstroke Bronze 2011 Shanghai 50 m backstroke Bronze 2015 Kazan 200 m freestyle Bronze 2015 Kazan 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (SC) Silver 2010 Dubai 200 m backstroke Silver 2010 Dubai 4×100 m medley Pan Pacific Championships Gold 2014 Gold Coast 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2014 Gold Coast 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2014 Gold Coast 4×100 m medley Bronze 2014 Gold Coast 100 m backstroke

Melissa Franklin Johnson (born May 10, 1995), known as Missy Franklin, is an American former competitive swimmer. She is famous for winning five Olympic gold medals.

Missy held the world record for the 200-meter backstroke from 2012 to 2019. She also held world records in relay races.

At her first Olympics in London in 2012, when she was 17, Missy won five medals, including four gold. She won both the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke races. She was named World Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World Magazine in 2012. She also won the FINA Swimmer of the Year award in 2011 and 2012.

Overall, Missy won 28 medals in big international swimming events. These included the Olympics, World Championships, and Pan Pacific Championships. Her 11 gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships were a record for women's swimming for a while.

Missy Franklin announced her retirement from swimming in December 2018.

Early Life and Start in Swimming

Missy Franklin was born in Pasadena, California, on May 10, 1995. She is the only child of Dick and D. A. Franklin. Her parents wanted her to be safe around water, so she started swimming lessons at age five. She grew up in Aurora, Colorado.

Both of Missy's parents are Canadian, so she has dual citizenship for both America and Canada. Her father, Dick, played football in Canada. He later moved to the United States for work. Missy chose to swim for the United States because she felt very patriotic.

Missy is 6 feet 2 inches tall. Her feet are a women's size 13. Her father joked that they were "built-in flippers." She was coached by Todd Schmitz from the Colorado Stars club team since she was seven years old.

Missy decided not to accept prize money or endorsements early in her career. This allowed her to keep her amateur status and swim in college. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, and swam for the California Golden Bears. She won four individual NCAA championships there. After the 2015 NCAA championships, she became a professional swimmer. She later trained at the University of Georgia and graduated with a degree in religion in 2019.

Swimming Career Highlights

Early Competitions

Missy joined the Colorado Stars swim team when she was seven. Her natural talent for swimming became clear to her parents when others noticed it. By age 12, she was competing against much older girls.

At 13, Missy competed in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. She did not qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics that year. Her best result was 37th in the 100-meter freestyle.

First International Medals (2010)

In 2010, Missy qualified for the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. She then won her first international medals at the 2010 FINA Short Course World Championships in Dubai. She earned a silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke. She also won a silver medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay. For her great performance in 2010, she won the Breakout Performer of the Year Award.

World Championship Success (2011)

Missy Franklin during warm up at the Aquatics Centre in 2012

At her first major long course world championship, the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Missy won five medals. She earned three gold, one silver, and one bronze.

• She won a silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
• She earned a bronze in the 50-meter backstroke.
• She won gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
• Missy won her first individual world title in the 200-meter backstroke, setting a new national record.
• She won another gold in the 4×100-meter medley relay.

Her performance earned her several awards, including Female Athlete of the Year.

Setting World Records (2011)

In October 2011, Missy set her first world record in the 200-meter backstroke. She was the first woman to break an individual world record since special high-tech swimsuits were banned in 2010.

Her second world record came in December 2011. She was part of the 4×100-meter medley relay team that set a new world record.

London 2012 Summer Olympics

Franklin at an NFL game between the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers on September 9, 2012

Leading up to the 2012 London Olympics, Missy had to be available for drug testing almost all the time. She became the first female swimmer to qualify for seven Olympic events.

Medal record
Swimming
Representing the  United States
Summer Olympics
Gold	100 m backstroke	58.33 (AM)
Gold	200 m backstroke	2:04.06 (WR)
Gold	4×200 m freestyle	7:42.92 (OR)
Gold	4×100 m medley	3:52.05 (WR)
Bronze	4×100 m freestyle	3:34.24 (AM)

At the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, Missy qualified for four individual events. She broke an American record in the 100-meter backstroke.

At the London Olympics:

• She won a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
• She won her first gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke, setting a new national record.
• She won her third medal, a gold, in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
• Missy won her second individual gold in the 200-meter backstroke, setting a new world record.
• In her final event, the 4×100-meter medley relay, she won gold and helped set a new world record.

She was named World Swimmer of the Year for 2012.

Barcelona 2013 World Championships

Medal record
Swimming
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Gold	100 m backstroke	58.42
Gold	200 m backstroke	2:04.76 (CR)
Gold	200 m freestyle	1:54.81
Gold	4×100 m freestyle	3:32.31 (AM)
Gold	4×200 m freestyle	7:45.14
Gold	4×100 m medley	3:53.23

Franklin (middle) in 2013 World Aquatics Championships

At the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Missy swam in seven events. She won an amazing six gold medals. This set a new record for the most gold medals won by a female swimmer at a single World Championships.

Her gold medals included:

• 4×100-meter freestyle relay
• 100-meter backstroke
• 200-meter freestyle
• 4×200-meter freestyle relay
• 200-meter backstroke
• 4×100-meter medley relay

Kazan 2015 World Championships

Medal record
Swimming
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Silver	200 m backstroke	2:06.34
Bronze	200 m freestyle	1:55.49
Bronze	4×100 m freestyle	3:34.61
Gold	4×100 m freestyle mixed	3:23.05 (WR)
Gold	4×200 m freestyle	7:45.37

Franklin (left), Emily Seebohm and Katinka Hosszú in a victory ceremony of 2015 World Aquatics Championships

At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Russia, Missy won two gold and two bronze medals.

• She won a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
• She won another bronze in the 200-meter freestyle.
• Missy won gold in the women's 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
• She also won gold in the mixed 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

Rio 2016 Summer Olympics

At the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, Missy qualified for the 200m freestyle, 200m backstroke, and the 4 × 200m freestyle relay team.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio:

• She tied for 13th place in the 200m freestyle semifinals and did not make the finals.
• She placed 7th in her 200m backstroke semifinal heat and did not make the finals.
• Missy won a gold medal in the 4 × 200m freestyle relay for swimming in the heats.

Retirement

Missy Franklin announced her retirement from swimming on December 19, 2018. She now works as an ambassador for the USA Swimming Foundation. She helps with a national campaign called Saving Lives Is Always in Season.

Personal Bests

Missy Franklin achieved impressive times in her swimming career. Here are some of her best times:

World Records Set by Missy Franklin

Missy Franklin set several world records during her career:

• The short course record for the 4×100m medley relay was set with Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni, and Dana Vollmer. Missy swam the freestyle part.
• The long course record for the 4×100m medley relay was set with Rebecca Soni, Dana Vollmer, and Allison Schmitt. Missy swam the backstroke part.

Personal Life

Missy Franklin's favorite athlete is Natalie Coughlin.

Missy grew up Christian. In high school, she became more interested in her faith. As a Religion major at the University of Georgia, she studied different religions. She also practiced yoga, which became a more spiritual experience for her.

Missy got engaged to Hayes Johnson, a former swimmer, on September 22, 2018. They married on September 14, 2019. In March 2021, they announced they were expecting a child. Their daughter, Sarah Caitlin Johnson, was born on August 11, 2021. Missy announced in October 2024 that they are expecting their second daughter.

See also

In Spanish: Missy Franklin para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
• List of United States records in swimming
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
• List of world records in swimming
• World record progression 200 metres backstroke
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay