Just minutes after taking the eighth and final spot for the 200 meter freestyle finals, Missy Franklin was back in the pool once again. Competing for a medal in the women's 100 meter backstroke final, Franklin finished in first place to capture the gold medal.
Franklin beat the heavily-favored Emily Seebohm of Australia by 0.35 seconds, 58.33 to 58.68. Japan's Aya Terakawa took the bronze medal with a 58.83 finish time. Gemma Spofforth of Great Britain finished in fifth place with a 59.20 time.
Franklin got off to a bit of a slow start, but when they made the turn for the final 50 meters she emerged in third place. A strong finisher to her races, Franklin was able to get that final push and beat Seebohm for the gold medal.
This is Franklin's first individual medal and her second overall. Over the weekend, Franklin won a bronze in the 4x100 freestyle relay.
Keep up with the medal count at Sports Illustrated.
For more, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver and check out SB Nation's 2012 Summer Olympics hub.
