A scary video, on exclusive from Canadian sports network SportsNet, show American superstar swimmer Missy Franklin in what appears to be serious pain during a training session in Australia.
According to Sportsnet, the video was taken at pre-Pan Pacs training, and showed Franklin gingerly climbing out of the pool and having to be helped off of the pool deck.
The four-time Olympic Champion and 9-time long course World Champion Tweeted after the session that she “had some back spasms after workout today,” and that she is “already feeling better.”
Franklin doesn’t have any publicly known history of back injury, but with a few days to go before Pan Pacs this is a scary sight for American swim fans.
Franklin isn’t the only star who has been battling back pain in the run-up to this meet. James Magnussen has referred to his back as “pretty dodgy” and that it has hurt his preparation for the same meet.
As of posting, we had not received any comment from USA Swimming, though the time difference means that the Americans are probably just getting their day started in Brisbane.
Watching that, your heart goes out to so fine and competitive a young lady. Pretty much ALL injuries felt as pain in the back, down the legs and through the shoulders is related in some degree to misalignment of the spine and neural irritation. Herniated disc(s) certainly would have to be ruled out. I’m thinking her mother, a physician, has been a strong voice of advocacy in light of her daughter’s pain and injury. Missy’s bubbly leadership a huge plus for the team. I hope they all rally around her and come together stronger than ever. A few mentioned in pre-meet interviews that having to compete against each other to gain a spot on the Worlds team was a mental… Read more »
I for one hope Missy and USS look at the bigger picture. The woman has an acute injury that could indicate an underlying neurological problem! I don’t care if she feels better, she needs an MRI to rule out a possible disc herniation and she needs to allow ALL the inflammation to heal in her paraspinal muscles before returning to strenuous activity or she could be out of the water for a long time and create a chronic problem. Returning to practice (no starts!) Is in one thing, but racing is quite another; I vote Missy cheer on the team from the sidelines!
My prediction is that she will be just fine for the meet. I’m sure USA Swimming has great athletic trainers and massage therapists.
Didn’t something like this just happen to Katie Hoff and she had to withdraw at nationals, because of the pain???
SUNY – Katie’s injury was different, but yes she wound up withdrawing from most of the meet. Katie had an “intercostal strain,” which is the muscles in the ribs. Missy’s is more “of a spasm,” which means it will tense up unexpectedly, but it’s not necessarily a full-blown ‘injured muscle’ like Hoff’s was. Does that make sense? In other words: Hoff’s strain wasn’t likely to improve in four days. For Franklin, as long as her back doesn’t start with the spasms again, she should be fine – perhaps just a bit of lingering discomfort. A back spasm is more like a “charlie horse,” but a lot more painful because it’s in your back, would be the best way to describe… Read more »
Why on earth would someone film this–shame on you Sportsnet.!
Why on earth would you post this–give the kid a break and some privacy–can only imagine what stress she is under!
canadian – this is sports, and injuries are a part of sports.
That video – I have suffered those types of spasms periodically (@20) in my lifetime. There is absolutely nothing more painful. We are talking the kind of pain that buckles your knees…just the thought of the intense pain that would happen if you would sneeze….. will allow you to stop a sneeze (not just stifle a sneeze – stop a sneeze….try that sometime). The spasms are so severe that when you try to stand up, your core cannot support your body and the pain from the spasm just buckles your whole body.
For me the key is getting the spasms broken quickly – usually accomplished with some pretty heavy meds. Ice, then heat. If the spasms don’t break quickly, it… Read more »
Nathan Adrian and James Magnussen are in the same heat, for the 100 free, and are right next to each other.
Heat sheets are out and Missy is still seeded to swim although I know that can change.
Interestingly Phelps has scratched the 2free and 100 back.
Very good decision from Michael!
I hoped he would swim only the 200 IM and the 100 fly in individual.
It’s almost the case.