Through 7 days of the 2011 FINA World Championships, we’ve seen plenty of great swims from young swimmers. Two of these young swimmers, however, have stood out above all of the rest, and ironically they have been given the same nickname. 20-year old Australian James “Maggie the Missile” Magnussen, and 16-year old American Melissa “Missy the Missile” Franklin (though I’m petitioning for a change to “Missyle” to differentiate) each will walk away from this meet with multiple gold medals in their first World Championship appearances and a place in swimming history books.
Franklin wrapped up her meet today with her 4th and 5th medals, including 3 golds. Individually, she took a win in the women’s 200 backstroke, and added to that gold medals in both the 800 free relay and the 400 medley relay. In the 200 back, she swam the 3rd-best time ever of 2:05.10 to set a new American Record. In leading off the women’s 800 free relay, she swam the best time in the world this year of 1:55.06, which is another all-time textile best.
James Magnussen isn’t done yet, as he will still swim Australia’s medley relay, but he has two golds in two swims in the individual 100 free and as a part of the Australian 400 freestyler relay. He hasn’t been as diverse as Franklin, but the events in which he’s done his damage are equally as impressive. Between his 47.49 relay leadoff and 49.63 in the individual final, he has the two-best times ever swum in textile, and it’s not even that close (the old mark was Pieter van den Hoogenband’s 47.84 from all the way back in 2000).
So fast was his 47.49 that only 5 swimmers were faster even in the rubber suits, and this 100 seems to have been an event where the rubber suits really made a huge difference.
Magnussen’s biggest contribution might have been in carrying his much more experienced teammates to a relay victory. His leadoff to that 400 free is really the only reason that the Australians had enough of a lead to hold off the French, as they were outswum on every other leg, and he did it head-to-head against Michael Phelps, which has intimidated more experienced swimmers than him. And all of this was done only a week after being hospitalized with pneumonia.
The most exciting thing about Magnussen is that we haven’t seen him in the 200 free yet. His 50 time from Australian Nationals was pretty good (22.45), but he says that his best race is the 200 free, though I can’t find a time for him in that race. If he’s halways as good in the 200 as he is in the 100, he’s going to have an even bigger impact.
With two swimmers this good and with this bright of futures, both have obviously earned a right to use the nickname of “the Missile.” The difference between a rocket and a missle is that a missile has a guiding system on it, and both of these swimmers are clearly targeted towards a huge explosion at the London 2012 Olympics. They are well-coached, they are focused, and they have both shown that they can step up under big pressure.
But which Missile do you think will be more lethal at the Olympics? Whose warhead will fly higher in London?
tm,
I think what Timbo means by expectations is that she’s surpassed the expectations for THIS meet. I think coming into this meet, if I had said that Franklin was going to swim 205.1 at Olympic Trials, or even London, there’ll be MANY doubters.
As a whole, I believe that 205.1 is a much more impressive swim than 155.0.
I think Franklin has a better shot at breaking a WR before Magnussen does, but this may be because the 200back is a softer record than the 100m free. Coming into 2011, I actually audaciously predicted that the 200back record could be in jeopardy in London, although the swimmer I thought was going to push it was Zhao Jing. However,… Read more »
A second and a half faster than Egerzegi at age 16, and faster than Franzi in the 200 free- you couldn’t say similar things about Hoff or Knutson, even though both were undoubtedly talented at that age.
As for those two, Hoff’s had some very nice results over the years when the stress of the meet hasn’t gotten to her, and if Knutson can continue to handle the training in Florida, I think we’ll see her return to some steady improvement.
LOL Braden –
A judge on iron Chef ! The only Iron Chef that matters (as in viewers across the globe ) is the original Japanese with an assortment of tasters including a petite actress who manages to chew very delicately. I don’t see the American version with homestyle chomping up there on the judging panel as an export star.
I do know that she was on DWTS but the ratings on her series were hardly up there with Bristol’s.
It is a tough world in global celebrity land. Thorpe has raised the stakes to royalty weddings . Then there is Charlene Whittstock.
Back to Franklin . Sorry to say a lot will depend how she grows . For example… Read more »
Magnussen said he did 1:48 while mucking around in training.
It’s a pity australian coaches didnt let him swim in the 800 FR.
For example, they had long given Leisel Jones the name “lethal leisel”, does Rebecca Soni have any affectionate name by US media?
aswimfan – this isn’t a new name for Missy either. She’s got it on her shoes.
There are plenty of sports with B-finals – 3rd place match in the world cup, water polo plays the brockets out in 11th and 13th place games. The difference there being you don’t play those games until you’re out of the running for the championship – in swimming, for most races you would hope swimmers would scratch the B final to rest for other races where they had a chance to file.
I think they in Australia already had already called Magnussen the missile from macquairie even before Shanghai?
Aussies love giving nicknames to their sportmans and sportteams.
i dont think she has outperformed the expectations, maybe reached some of them before it was expected. rowdy gaines kept singing her praises last summer at the nationals and pan pacs. i hope she is not listening to the “go for broke katie hoff approach” and concetrate on the two backstrokes, the three relays and perhaps the 200 free. it is better to win 4 or 5 golds in the 4-5 events you compete in rather than go for broke and collect several non medal finishes !
Missile Magnussen did 1:44.12 (s/c) for 200 Free earlier this year (along with 46.82 for 100).
With long course, he was at about 1:54 at Aust Age titles about two years ago.