FINA Live Blog : Swimming, Day 3 - Women's 100m backstroke: Franklin (USA) maintains winning ways

Olympic champion Missy Franklin captured her second gold medal of the Barcelona World Championships with an emphatic victory in the 100m backstroke. The 18-year-old American, who led the USA to victory in the 4x100m freestyle relay on the opening evening in the pool, dominated the race from start to finish. She turned at 50 metres in 28.62, inside world record pace, and won by a comfortable margin in 58.42, finishing 0.30 seconds outside the 2009 world mark of Gemma Spofforth (GBR).

Emily Seebohm (AUS) took the silver, 0.64 seconds behind, in 59.06, and Aya Terakawa (JPN), 50m backstroke silver medallist in 2011, the bronze in 59.23. The 1-2-3 order repeated the medal podium of the 2012 Olympics. Franklin won four gold medals at the London Olympics and is in the hunt for more medals in Barcelona.

World Record: Gemma Spofforth (GBR), 58.12 – July 28, 2009 in Rome (ITA)
Championships Record: Gemma Spofforth (GBR), 58.12 – July 28, 2009 in Rome (ITA)
Best performance of the current season (since January 2013): Missy Franklin (USA), 58.42 – July 30 in Barcelona (ESP)
2003-2011 winners in this event: 2003 – Antje Buschschulte (GER, 1:00.50); 2005 – Kirsty Coventry (ZIM, 1:00.24); 2007 – Natalie Coughlin (USA, 59.44); 2009 – Gemma Spofforth (GBR, 58.12); 2011 – Jing Zhao (CHN, 59.05)
The best in this event (1. most victories or 2. fastest time): Ulrike Richter (GDR, 1973 & 1975) and Natalie Coughlin (USA, 2001 & 2007)
2012 Olympic podium: 1. Missy Franklin (USA, 58.33), 2. Emily Seebohm (AUS, 58.68), 3. Aya Terakawa (JPN, 58.83)