Rio 2016: Missy Franklin and Cierra Runge get Gold medals for swimming 4x200 Free relay prelim

Missy Franklin now has a 2016 Rio Olympic medal, even if she did not get to swim in the final of the relay that earns the medal.

The USA quartet of Allison Schmitt, Leah Smith, Maya DiRado, and Katie Ledecky technically won the Gold medals (yes, DiRado and Ledecky are Stanford alum and incoming freshman, respectively), but the swimmers that swam the prelim this morning also get the medals. DiRado actually did not qualify for this event at the Trials, but is put in the final because she was considered the “hot hand”.

Former Cal Women’s Swimming teammates Missy Franklin and Cierra Runge swam the prelim this morning along side Allison Schmitt and Melanie Margalis. They actually posted the top prelim time for Team USA.

This is probably not the way that Missy Franklin, the darling of the 2012 London games, envision earning her first medal of 2016 Rio. Franklin has one more event left, the 200 Back which is arguably her best event.

Cierra Runge, a first time Olympian who is transferring to Wisconsin, is only swimming in this relay in Rio 2016. She is now a first time Olympic medalist.

Calympians Medal Count:

(Through Women’s 4x200 Free Relay)

5 Golds, 4 Silvers, 2 Bronze

Dana Vollmer (USA) - Silver from Women’s 4x100 Free Relay, Bronze from Women’s 100 Fly

Abbey Weitzeil (USA) - Silver from Women’s 4x100 Free Relay

Nathan Adrian (USA) - Gold from Men’s 4x100 Free Relay, Bronze from Men’s 100 Free

Anthony Ervin (USA) - Gold from Men’s 4x100 Free Relay

Kathleen Baker (USA) - Silver from Women’s 100 Back

Ryan Murphy (USA) - Gold from Men’s 100 Back

Josh Prenot (USA) - Silver from Men’s 200 Breast

Missy Franklin (USA) - Gold from Women’s 4x200 Free Relay

Cierra Runge (USA)* - Gold from Women’s 4x200 Free Relay

*Runge is not one of the 50 Calympians on the Cal Athletics list, so our Calympian medal count may differ from their

GO BEARS!