Missy Franklin Snags Gold, World Record in Women's 4x100m Medley Relay

With Missy Franklin hanging up her Olympics swim cap for four years, it is safe to say that London has been a smashing success for her. 

Franklin claimed her fourth gold in the 4x100-meter medley relay on Saturday, her final event of the 2012 Olympics. The Americans earned their medal with Franklin on the backstroke, Rebecca Soni taking the breaststroke, Dana Vollmer handling the butterfly and Allison Schmitt anchoring with the freestyle. 

Franklin gave them a lead in the opening leg, and there was no looking back. They won by a huge margin and set a new world record in the process. 

NBC's Ryan Hurley tweeted out some times. 

"

NEW WR!! - U.S. 4x100 medley (3:52.05): @franklinmissy (58:50) @rebsoni (1:04.82), @danavollmer (55:48), @arschmitty (53.25)

— Ryan Hurley (@RyanHurleyNBC) August 4, 2012"

This boosts Franklin's individual haul of hardware for these Games to five medals. Not bad for a 17-year-old who will now turn her attention toward starting her senior year in high school.  

With her work done in London, it is time to turn the conversation toward what's next for this already storied Olympian. 

The natural path would be to see her popping up all over the place on cereal boxes and commercials. However, that is not going to happen. As ABC reports, Franklin is going to pass on the loads of cash that could be at her disposal in favor of keeping her amateur status so she can swim in college, which is terrible news for other college swimmers hoping to win anything. 

Of course, Franklin isn't permanently passing on these opportunities. They are likely to be there, and then some, following the Rio Games in 2016. 

Franklin will be just 21 then, and in all likelihood she will be an even better swimmer than she is now. As skilled as she is, the sky is the limit for her potential haul in Rio and for her career.

Conceivably, Franklin could be stronger in the next two Olympics than she was in these, and that's nearly impossible to fathom since we are already talking about a five-time medalist.