Franklin wins worlds 100m backstroke gold

Barcelona, July 31 (IANS)

Missy Franklin in action in the 15th FINA World Championships at Barcelona. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Missy Franklin followed the gold medal she won in the women’s 100-metre backstroke in London a year ago with another triumph in the event at the World Championships here.

As in London, the 18-year-old American beat Australia’s Emily Seebohn to the silver while Japan’s Aya Terakawa finished third to ensure that the podium Tuesday was an exact repeat of that in the 2012 Olympics, reports Xinhua.

Franklin, who already has a gold from the women’s 4×100 metre relay, led the entire race and clocked 58.42, ahead of Seebohn’s 59.06 and Terakawa’s 59.23. The triumph means Franklin is the first ever woman to win an Olympic gold and then follow it up with a World Championship gold.