The high school state swimming championships are just around the
corner and is always a big draw for fans at the King County Aquatic
Center in Federal Way.
Imagine if one of those swimmers competing was a four-time gold
medalist?
That’s the case in Colorado, where Olympic champion Missy
Franklin will be competing in her final prep meet in Denver. The
meet is sold out, with nearly 990 tickets distributed to schools
from the Colorado High School Activities Association for parents of
qualified swimmers. Franklin is set to swim the 200-yard individual
medley and 500 free for her school, Regis Jesuit (Aurora,
Colo.).
Franklin had some criticism earlier during her senior season
from folks who thought she shouldn’t be competing.
Personally I think she should have competed for her school and
I’m glad she did. If athletes want to try and beat the best they
have to go head-to-head at some point.
Eric Craven, head coach for rival Cherry Creek, explained it
like this in an AP story:
“Look at it this way: LeBron James was the No. 1 pick in the
NBA, right? Well, I’m sure there were people complaining about
that. They’re like, ‘Why is LeBron playing basketball in high
school?'” Craven said. “Because he wanted to represent his school,
wanted to be with his teammates, wanted to represent (his state).
It’s the same thing Missy is going through. She wants to represent
the school. This is a good thing.”
You can read the full story here.
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