'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Missy Franklin congratulates Rachel Bootsma after Bootsma set a new American record on her way to winning the women’s 50m backstroke finals on day 3 of the 2013 USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships and World Trials at the Indiana University Natatorium on June 27, 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
It took a record-breaking effort by Rachel Bootsma Thursday night to halt Missy Franklin’s win streak at the US swimming championships and World Championship trials.
Bootsma finished ahead of Franklin in the women’s 50-meter backstroke at the Indiana University Natatorium on the third night of the meet, which serves as the trials for the World Championships in Barcelona, July 28-August 4. Event winners automatically qualify for the US team.
Bootsma’s time of 27.68 bettered the American record of 27.80 by Hayley McGregory in 2008.
Franklin, the winner of four Olympic gold medals last year in London, took second in 27.98. Over the first two days of competition, Franklin had won titles in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle and 200 backstroke.
“Missy’s a great competitor and obviously, she was right there with me,” said Bootsma, who picked up an Olympic gold medal in 2012 as part of the US 4×100 free relay team. “I knew it would be a close race, but I did what I knew I needed to do.”
Bootsma, this year’s collegiate 100 backstroke champion, swims for the University of California, where Franklin will enroll this fall. The two are expected to meet again Friday in the 100 back final.
In the women’s 100-meter butterfly, Olympic champ Dana Vollmer posted the year’s third fastest time, blazing past Clair Donahue for the win in 57.53.
Donahue’s time was 58.32. Vollmer picked up four gold medals last year in London (100 fly, all three relays).
Olympic gold medalist Tyler Clary was again a bridesmaid at this meet, this time in the men’s 400-meter individual medley.
Clary, the 200 backstroke winner in London, led at the halfway point. But Chase Kalisz surged past Clary on the third leg and came home first in 4:11.83 with Clary second in 4:11.62.
Earlier this week, Clary was the runner-up in the 200 fly and the 200 back.
In the night’s tightest finish, Eugene Godsoe claimed his second national title with a win in the men’s 100-meter butterfly.
Godsoe, winner of Wednesday’s 50 free, held off Ryan Lochte and Timothy Phillips to win in 51.66, the world’s fourth-fastest time this season. Lochte, the winner of five medals at the London Games (two gold, two silver, one bronze) was second in 51.71. Phillips took third in 51.86.
Thursday’s session opened with a battle between Maya Dirado and Elizabeth Beisel in the women’s 400 IM.
Through the butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke, Dirado maintained a thin lead over Beisel.
Beisel fought for the lead in the final 50 meters of the freestyle, but Dirado never let up and finished in 4:34.34. Beisel was second in 4:34.50.
In the men’s 50-meter breaststroke, Kevin Steel denied Kevin Cordes a second national title here with a win in 27.26. Cordes, second in 27.38, won Wednesday’s 200 breast title.
David Plummer took the men’s 50-meter backstroke title in 24.52, an American open mark as the fastest time ever in the US.
The women’s 50-meter breaststroke went to Olympic gold medalist Jessica Hardy in 30.24, the world’s second-fastest clocking this year.
Allison Schmitt withdrew from further competition at nationals Thursday in order “to regroup,” according to USA Swimming officials.
Schmitt, the winner of five Olympic medals in 2012 (five gold, one bronze), failed to qualify for Wednesday’s 200-meter freestyle final, an event she won last year in London. Schmitt was scheduled to swim the 400 freestyle on Friday.
