Missy Franklin
Swimming · Team USA
Swimming · Enshrined Legend
Missy Franklin
Five-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the most decorated female swimmers in history, who chose Cal over millions in endorsements and led the Golden Bears to the 2015 NCAA team title.
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Olympic Gold Medals
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World Championship Titles
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Individual NCAA Titles
The Backstory
The Most Sought-After Recruit in the Nation
Chose the collegiate experience
Arrived at UC Berkeley as the nation's top recruit, turning down millions in potential endorsements to compete for Cal from 2013 to 2015.
Standout in the classroom
Named the 2015 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year and awarded the Honda Cup as the nation's top female collegiate athlete.
Advocate since retiring in 2018
An ambassador for the USA Swimming Foundation and co-host of the Unfiltered Waters podcast, advocating for water safety, youth sports and athlete mental health.
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See Missy Franklin in Action
2011 → Today
Career Timeline
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2011
FINA World Swimmer of the Year
The first of two consecutive world swimmer of the year honors.
Two Chapters
Five Olympic golds, 11 world titles, and a world record that stood for seven years.
5× Olympic gold medalist — Including four golds in London
First American woman to win four golds at a single Games — 2012 London Olympics, at 17 years old
World record, 200m backstroke — 2:04.06 — stood for seven years
11 career World Championship titles — Across her international career
First woman to win six golds at a single World Championships — 2013
FINA World Swimmer of the Year — 2011 and 2012
Every award, on the record
Honors & Awards
Olympic Gold Medalist
Five Olympic gold medals across her career.
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
One of sport's highest global honors.
FINA World Swimmer of the Year
Named the world's best swimmer twice.
Honda Cup
The nation's top female collegiate athlete.
Capital One Academic All-American of the Year
National recognition for athletic and academic excellence.
NCAA Team Championship with Cal
Led the California Golden Bears to the team title.
More To Know
Deeper Cuts on Missy Franklin
Her full name is Melissa Franklin Johnson, and she was born in Pasadena, California; because her parents were Canadian, she holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship.
Her father, Dick Franklin, was a football player at Saint Mary's University who briefly played in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts before working at Coors Brewing.
Across her whole career she amassed 28 international medals — 17 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze.
She's now married to Hayes Johnson, whom she wed in 2019, and the couple have two children.
In January 2010 she became the first woman to break an individual world record after high-tech racing bodysuits were banned from the sport.
After Cal she finished her degree in religion at the University of Georgia, having explored several faith traditions academically during and after her swimming career.
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