RIO DE JANEIRO: Missy Franklin's bubbly demeanor hides a steely determination, and the darling of the London Games pool says she's arrived in Rio strengthened by her struggles at the US swimming trials.
Franklin was the first US woman to swim seven events in a single Games in 2012 and counted four golds medals among the five she took home.
She crashed to seventh in the 100m backstroke at trials to miss a chance to defend that title, and goes into her gold medal defence in the 200m back off a runner-up finish at the qualifying meet.
"I don't necessarily think that my endurance was an issue or my athleticism," said Franklin, who will also race the 200m free in Rio after finishing second at the trials.
"I think trials was just a very different experience for me and I wasn't really prepared for the emotional aspect of it," admitted Franklin.
"Coming back from 2012 and coming in this year I think I felt the pressure a lot more this year than I ever have before. I've normally been able to handle that and that was something that I really struggled with at trials.
"To be able to come through that and get my hand on the wall when I needed to and to realize I still have that heart, I still have those guts it gives me a lot of confidence here.
Franklin's struggles pre-date the Olympic trials, stretching back to a back injury that hindered her at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships.
Now that she's back in the Olympic arena, however, the 21-year-old was confident she could rise to the occasion.
"With a lot of that pressure gone and with a better mental mind-set coming in here, I won't only have all that endurance that I built up but also the heart and guts to go on top of that," she said. "I think that's a pretty killer combination for me."
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