Missy Franklin is 3 for 3, sets personal record in World Championship

Missy Franklin won her third gold medal and set a new personal record during the FINA World Championship Wednesday in Barcelona.

The 18-year-old Olympic medalist claimed her third title of the meet as she touched the wall after 1 min and 54.81 sec during the 200m freestyle final besting Italy's Federica Pellegrini, who took the silver medal, and France's Camille Muffat, who claimed the bronze.

“I’m really, really happy with my swim there," Franklin said. "You kind of use each swim to motivate the next one. That’s a best time for me. I told myself if I go a 1:54, I would be the happiest girl alive, so I’m happy with the 1:54, and it happened to be a gold medal, too, which I’m thrilled about.”

So far, the American swimmer has gotten gold in the 400m free relay, on the first night of the meet, and during the 100m back on Tuesday.

After today's win, Franklin decided to pull back from tonight's semifinals for the 50m back as she prepares to compete in four more events including the 100m free, the 200m back, the 400m medley relay and the 800m free relay. “If I had made finals (in the 50m back), it would have also been before the relay tomorrow night,” Franklin explained. “So with it being right before this and right before the relay, we decided the risks outweighed the rewards for that race. It was fun to swim it this morning, but I think I’m happy with the decision to scratch.”