Missy Franklin takes sixth gold medal at World Swimming Championships

BARCELONA, Spain, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- American teenager Missy Franklin took a sixth gold medal at the 2013 World Swimming Championships Sunday, accomplishing a rare achievement in the sport.

Franklin, along with Jessica Hardy, Dana Vollmer and Megan Romano, finished first in the 4x100-meter medley relay on the final night in Barcelona, besting the Australian squad with a time of 3 minutes, 53.23 seconds.

The 18-year-old swam the first leg of the event, giving her a sixth gold at the meet. She became only the fourth swimmer in history to win as many as six golds at the worlds or the Olympics.

Only Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Kristin Otto have done so previously.