Audio By Carbonatix
Most age controversies at the Olympics involve athletes who may be younger than they’re claiming. But in the case of hometown hero Missy Franklin, she can seem much older than her seventeen years — particularly given how well she appears to be handling her sudden fame. But she’s still a kid at heart, as is clear from her extended appearance last night on the Tonight show. See it below.
Franklin banters with host Jay Leno like a practiced pro, albeit one who’s still clinging to her amateur status. (She says she’s still planning to go to college, but characterizes the decision as harder than before given the crazy promotional offers she’s getting.) But amid all the talk about how the Olympic crowd noise was audible underwater and what it was like to have LeBron James and Kate Middleton cheering for her, she also noted her excitement about registering for Regis Jesuit High School shortly after returning from London, as well as starting her senior year — today!
Her class schedule, which ranges from forensic science to advanced dance (“Advanced!” she stressed), sounds pretty typical. But you can bet there’ll be plenty of other out-of-the-ordinary things happening at the school, whose home page features this shot:
Normalcy will be tough to come by for Franklin — but if anyone can strike that balance, it’s her. Check out her Tonight show moments below.
When news happens, Westword is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
More from our Sports archive: “Photos: Missy Franklin at the Olympics closing ceremonies.”
