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Franklin completes Olympics backstroke sweep with world record

Missy Franklin won the 200-meter backstroke in a world-record time at the London Olympics, adding it to the gold medal she won in the 100-meter event five days ago.

Franklin, a 17-year-old Colorado high school student, won today in 2 minutes, 4.06 seconds, breaking the mark of 2:04.81 set by Kristy Coventry of Zimbabwe in 2009. Anastasia Zueva of Russia was second, 1.86 seconds behind, and Elizabeth Beisel of the U.S. was third.

Franklin had won the 100-meter backstroke on July 30 in a U.S. record to take gold from Emily Seebohm, an Australian who overcame swine flu last year to reach the Olympic Games.

It's Franklin's third gold in London. She was part of the championship U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team, and took bronze in the 400-meter freestyle relay. She's competing in seven events, the most attempted by a U.S. female swimmer.

Franklin, the world champion, had been the 4-9 favorite to win the Olympic race at U.K. bookmaker William Hill Plc, meaning a successful $9 wager would return $4 and the original stake.

Her teammate Elizabeth Beisel, who took silver in the 400- meter individual medley, had been the fastest qualifier.

Entering today's races, the U.S. was at the top of the medal table in swimming with 23, including 11 gold. China was second with nine medals, including four golds. France was in third place with six medals, of which three are gold. World records had been set in five events.

The swimming competition at the Aquatics Centre ends tomorrow.

--Editors: Larry Siddons, Jay Beberman.

To contact the reporters on this story: Danielle Rossingh at the Aquatics Centre at drossinghbloomberg.net; Tariq Panja at the Aquatics Centre at tpanjabloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Elser at celserbloomberg.net

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