Franklin Wins Gold, Boyle Wins Bronze in Barcelona

BARCELONA – For the third time at the World Championships, Missy Franklin won a gold medal – her fifth – and Lauren Boyle won a bronze medal – her third – on the same day at the Palau Sant Jordi. On Saturday, Franklin, who starts her California career in the fall, posted a championship record time of 2:04.76 to capture the 200-meter backstroke, while Boyle, the Golden Bear alumna, clocked an Oceania-record time of 8:18.58 to take third in the 800-meter freestyle in the last event of the night.

Cal sophomore Elizabeth Pelton also swam in the 200-backstroke final, taking fifth place with a time of 2:08.98.

Franklin, the world-record holder (2:04.06) in the 200 back, has also won gold in the 100 back, 200 freestyle, 4x100-free relay and 4x200-free relay in Spain. Boyle, the New Zealand star who swam at Cal from 2007-10, also collected bronze in the 400 and 1500 frees.

Cal women have earned a total of 11 medals at the World Championships, including Pelton’s gold from the U.S. 4x100-free relay (prelim), Natalie Coughlin’s gold from the U.S. 4x100-free relay and Dana Vollmer’s bronze in the 100 butterfly.

Additionally on Saturday, incoming freshman Farida Osman (Egypt) edged alumna Dana Vollmer (USA) as the Bears finished seventh (26.17) and eighth (26.46), respectively, in the 50-butterfly final. Cal great Natalie Coughlin (USA) swam in the semifinals of the 50 free, placing 11th in a time of 25.02, but she did not qualify for the final.

In the morning preliminaries, Coughlin swam the ninth-fastest time in the 50 free (25.00) and junior Yvette Kong clocked the 35th-fastest time (32.56) in the 50 breaststroke, but the Hong Kong product did not advance to the semis.

The World Championships close on Sunday with prelims in the 400-individual medley and 4x100-medley relay as well as finals in the 50 breaststroke, 50 free, 400 IM and 4x100-medley relay.