The Golden Friendship
Olympic swimmers Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky are encroaching on each other’s “bread and butter.” Both are competing for the gold, but it doesn’t affect their generous friendship. Instead of aiming for each other’s throats, the two are supportive and feed off of each other. This isn’t something usually seen in the sports world, but the U.S. audience is loving their chemistry.
According to Sports Illustrated, Franklin is grateful for the inspiration the friendship brings. “To have that kind of competitor and that kind of influence in my life, as a person and as an athlete? I’m truly so so grateful for that, I know Katie’s going to make me better, so why would I ever want to push that away?”
Named “America’s Sweetheart” after the 2012 Olympics, Franklin’s bubbly personality seems to rub off on anyone. With the new title, Franklin said she takes being a good role model to her heart. “I get a kick out of it, but something that I appreciate and take seriously,” Franklin said. She’s is a great person to look up to due to her successes but she is also relatable. For everyone in this world, facing trials and tribulations is inevitable, and everyone has a few low points in their lives and their careers. Missy Franklin was continuing on an uphill path after winning two Olympic gold medals in London. She dominated the 2013 World Championships winning six gold medals, but the following year her happy endings started to dwindle away. Two days before the 2014 Pan Pacific championships, she laid down on the floor of a team van crying because she was in so much pain from back spasms and she finished the meet with completing four races and only one gold. According to Sports Illustrated, Franklin said “The hardest five days of my life. Until that point, I had never been behind the blocks or in the final ready room and not felt prepared. Being there and still having to swim every event and knowing that I wasn’t going to be close to the times I wanted—heart-wrenching.”
Less than one year later, she reunited with a coach from her past, Todd Schmitz and started a training program that would get her into the best shape of her career. Her plan didn’t work as well as she planned at the Olympic trails but she could get back to her gold medal status for the Olympics. At the trials in Omaha, Nebraska, Missy shocked the audience with a seventh place finish in the 100 backstroke missing qualification, but she did qualify in the 200 freestyle, 4×100 and 4×200 relay and her signature event, the 200 backstroke where she got second place and was three seconds off from her world- record time.
Ledecky told her friend after the 200 backstroke where she was the only swimmer to finish before Franklin, “You are one tough cookie”. Katie Ledecky has set world records in the 400 and 1500 meter freestyle and she may be friends with Franklin, but the difference in their demeanors shows that they are two different people when competing. Missy can show her personality, energy and how much fun she has with the sport but when she hits the water, she gets into her racing mode. Well, Katie doesn’t exactly do that. Even though she loves to see how Missy shines her personality before a race, it takes Katie a little bit longer to give the crowd a few smiles. In Rio, don’t be surprised to get some repressed and self-criticizing interviews after races from her. She’s tough, unbothered and ready to kick some ass. Ledecky also gave the world an impressive performance at the 2012 Olympics, she won the gold in the 800 at just age 15. She was met at her gold medal press conference with an opening question about doping, “It’s totally false” Ledecky said according to Sports Illustrated. She hasn’t gotten the spotlight that Missy has but she doesn’t seem to mind.
With Olympic gold medals on the line, how do these two dominant swimmers stay friends? Well, they have their own goals and they do their own thing; they just respect and support each other in what they do. Franklin said after the trails, “I’m going to have a different place on this team and it’s going to be a different Olympics for me.” Franklin, being results driven is willing to help set the tone. Now it’s Katie’s time to shine.
