America’s Missy Franklin sets record with six golds at a single world championships

American teenager Missy Franklin became the first woman to win six golds at a single world championships when she helped the US to victory in the 4x100 metres medley relay last night.

The 18-year-old swam the opening, backstroke leg in the hilltop pool in Barcelona and the triumph followed her titles this week in 100 metres and 200m backstroke, 200m freestyle and the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays.

She was fourth in Friday’s 100m freestyle.

“It hurt really, really bad but now we’re all done and we’re all super excited,” Franklin, who is due to sign on at University of California, Berkeley later this year, told reporters. “I think I’m going to take my time off until I get to Berkeley so I think that gives me about two and a half weeks. We’re all pretty excited about it.”

Franklin’s sixth gold is one more than the previous record of five she jointly held with compatriot Tracy Caulkins and Australia’s Libby Trickett.

The only other woman to win six golds at a major swimming meet was East German Kristin Otto at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

After her three world titles at the 2011 championships in Shanghai, Franklin is also tied for the most golds overall with Trickett on nine golds.