Missy Franklin and her coach, Todd Schmitz have an awesome coach/swimmer relationship. This interview showcases just that.
This is from Night 3 of the Mesa Grand Prix (Sponsored by VisitMesa.com). Recaps of both Missy’s races on the night from Braden Keith:
Women’s 100 Back – Final
Teri McKeever has to be absolutely salivating at the prospects of her backstroke group coming up. Not that this is a new story, but between her current freshmen, and her next-year freshman, the Golden Bears went 1-2-3 in the women’s 100 backstroke final.
That was led by Missy Franklin in 1:00.15, and followed by her Olympic counterpart Rachel Bootsma in 1:00.54 and Liz Pelton in 1:00.84. Franklin, who is still training with Todd Schmitz and the Colorado Stars, is probably at a much different spot in her training than Bootsma and Pelton (who are just coming off of their NCAA Championship meet).
Future Georgia Bulldog Olivia Smoliga was 4th in 1:01.67. SMU’s Isabella Arcila completed a 1-5 sweep by teenagers and placed 5th in 1:02.47.
Clara Smiddy won the B-Final in 1:02.41; along with her brother Sam, the Smiddy siblings have had an outstanding meet so far.
Women’s 200 IM – Final
Hungarian Katinka Hosszu has had a great meet, and in this, the last race of 8 (she ended up scratching the 800 free), she may have had her best. She had a great breaststroke leg, to match that of former training partner Stina Gardell, and won in 2:12.68. That’s the fastest that she’s been this early in a long course season in her career (which makes sense because it’s her first chance at not coming right off of NCAA’s).
Hosszu will finish the meet with four runner-up finishes, two victories, a 6th-place finish, and an 8th place finish.
Gardell finished 2nd in 2:13.81, and Caitlin Leverenz was 3rd in 2:13.90. Leverenz had a typically-great breaststroke leg to get back into this race, but couldn’t hold that position on the freestyle leg.
Missy Franklin placed 4th in 2:16.29, and Liz Pelton was 5th in 2:16.68.
Karlee Bispo of Longhorn Aquatics won the B-Final in 2:16.91, pulling away from Alia Atkinson(2:16.91). Bispo looked very smooth on the closing freestyle leg next to Atkinson’s relatively labored freestyle stroke coming home. After a 2:12 at the Austin Grand Prix earlier this year, Bispo should at least final at Nationals this summer, and could challenge for a spot in Barcelona in the 200 IM.
There should only be an a final and a b final. Its just downplaying the importance and significance of the grand prix. I remember when you had to at least have the ot cut to final; now its just automatic finaling.
Was the Mesa Grand Prix a required meet for national team members?…it seemed like pretty much everyone was there…with the exception of those still in college and living too far from Arizona (specifically, Georgia, Florida, and Michigan). My goodness just looking at everyone who showed up: Grevers, Adrian, Ervin, Lochte, Vollmer, Hardy, Coughlin, Franklin, Ledecky, Larson, Adams, Donahue, Bootsma, Sutton–and probably more I’m forgetting…but so many Olympians!
@aswimfan–did they cancel C/D finals on day 3? That’s the only day I watched online….and i only remember A and B finals….(though usaswimming has all the finals from days 1 and 2 on youtube already…)
Not required as far as I know. But on the universal sports broadcast on night one, frank busch talked about how he wanted to add an outdoor meet to spark some excitement right after college/club/high school seasons.
They were still “D” finals in the third day.
http://results.teamunify.com/mesagp/
I was watching Madison Visco’s lonely swim in the 100 breast D final, and thinking this is so not necessary
The “C-D” finals were after the complete “A-B” as a second session.
They should just get rid of the “D” Finals, and maybe even the “C” finals. The Grand Prix events are for the national level swimmers, not the kids. There are already ample opportunities for up and comers to get good racing at meets like Sectionals, Juniors, etc.
The finals used to be an honor that meant that you raced hard and got a best time in the prelims, not something that was just handed out to every swimmer in the meet.
Personally I like the format, it gives the younger kids a chance to swim in the pool with the stars or up and coming stars and even international stars. I have even heard kids say that is why they travel to these meets, to be able to see these guys race in person and talk to them. You wont get that at Juniors,and it is rare to see many at Sectionals or Seniors Champs.
I dont know about other areas of the country but in Florida we get to see Lochte at Seniors most seasons which is wonderful. That is super motivation for the younger kids. To his credit I have seen him stand and autograph and take pictures… Read more »
I don’t understand your logic.
So the C and D finals are there to provide the kids with the chance to swim with swim stars and international stars?
Do swim stars and international stars swim in the C and D finals? When?
It is weird watching “D” final with only ONE swimmer competing.
Is it that necessary?
Question for everyone…I feel like USA Swimming has absolutely KILLED these GP meets by making these QT ridiculous…does anyone else feel that the depth in these meets (going back to the Minnesota GP) is a joke?
C and D heats with 1-3 swimmers??? Relay events with 1 entry? How can this possibly be good for the sport?
Why are “D” heats necessary and when do they go to “E” ?
A continuing thought about Conso’s. They were not originally created in the early 60’s to give a swimmer a second chance to swim. They originated to dilute a teams success with so many finalists in top six and also it helped a couple of teams go home with points because their relays scored by being there with less then 12 teams in the conference and they didn’t score individually. Always interesting how they have taken on a new meaning. It did not originate from the NCAA or AAU national level but in a top ranked conference.. Interesting how a couple of conferences are scoring the “C” heats. It’s just how time changes things. When time standards became necessary many thought… Read more »
I agree. I think USA Swimming undervalued the special-ness of the GP meets to the up and coming swimmers. Example: at the Michigan GP (Namesnik) in 2011 Asphalt Green’s Michael Domagola was making among his first C and B finals. Now look at him. And there were others (e.g. Szeleky). Can’t help but think that was an important stepping stone.