U.S. Olympic phenom connects with Pictou

An Olympic swimmer with dual citizenship has professed a fondness for Pictou when she’s been able to visit.
Missy Franklin, a 17-year-old student from Colorado, considers Pictou her favourite place in the world. Her connection includes an aunt who has a residence in Caribou and is also attending the Olympics.
She is being called a star in waiting, the female Michael Phelps on the U.S. Olympics swimming team that is competing this week at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England. She has four individual events and three relays on her list of races.
Franklin has size 13 feet and is 6’ 1” tall. She drew attention last fall by setting the first world record by a female swimmer since the high-tech swim suits that raised controversy in swimming competition were banned two years ago.
She won three gold medals, two in relays and one in her 200 metre backstroke specialty, as well as a silver medal in a 4×100 freestyle relay and bronze in 50 metre backstroke.
The accomplishments earned her the International Swimming Federation’s 2011 swimmer of the year award.
Although she is American, Franklin can claim Canadian citizenship because her parents were born in Canada and developed careers that took them to the U.S.
The dual citizenship means Canadians and Americans were poised to cheer on Franklin during the relay and 200 metre backstroke events she is competing in during the London Games.
Franklin opened Sunday with a bronze medal in her 4×100 freestyle relay final and won a gold medal in her 100 metre backstroke race Monday.