Missy Franklin: What Has Made Her the Story of the Olympics?

Missy Franklin has burst onto the Olympic scene and captured the hearts of American fans.

Part of that instantaneous attraction is definitely due to the fact that she won four Olympic gold medals and broke the world record in the 200-meter backstroke. People definitely love highly successful individuals.

However, there is much more to the story than that.

For one thing, Franklin represents the spirit of true amateurism. She wants to swim for her eventual collegiate team apparently more than she wants to cash in on her insanely high marketability right now. Of course, accepting sponsorship money would ruin that plan.

In a sense, the Olympics were originally intended to be amateur events. Franklin is staying true to that by not hiring an agent and not taking all of the sponsorship money.

Another important thing that connects Franklin to the American public is the fact that when you watch her interview, she seems like a normal high school kid.

Sure, she is insanely talented, but as a person, she seems like someone that you could talk or might just see walking down the street.

People appreciate when athletes don't let all of their success turn them into robots. People like to see personality and sheer enjoyment, and you can definitely sense that when Franklin is interviewed.

If she has to write an essay about what she did this summer when she returns to high school, I have a feeling that it will be more interesting than anything her classmates will write.

Nevertheless, that is what makes Missy Franklin so marketable. She is phenomenally talented but is still a girl who loves swimming.

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