Missy Franklin isn't the only swimmer at the high school championships, damn it!

The next big event for swimmer Missy Franklin is...the Colorado 5A girls' state championship? It's true: The multiple-gold-medal-winning Olympian is taking part in the event today and tomorrow at Fort Collins' Eudora Pool and Ice Center, aka EPIC. And the folks at the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) seem...

By Michael Roberts

February 8, 2013

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

The next big event for swimmer Missy Franklin is...the Colorado 5A girls' state championship? It's true: The multiple-gold-medal-winning Olympian is taking part in the event today and tomorrow at Fort Collins' Eudora Pool and Ice Center, aka EPIC. And the folks at the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) seem more than slightly freaked out by the expected media crush.

A press release sent to media outlets under the signature of Bert Borgmann, CHSAA's assistant director, uses bold letters and caps to warn reporters to keep their distance from Missy.

The section reads:

Missy Franklin will NOT be available for interviews from her arrival at the pool on Friday until a press conference after the finals of the swimming meet on Saturday. Site of the press conference will be announced Saturday.

That's followed by this, printed sans bold, but with a key word capitalized:

Please note that in order for the state swimming championship to proceed appropriately for ALL swimmers, the CHSAA will ask that you respect Missy Franklin and the other swimmers by adhering to the no-contact piece. Prior to her arrival on campus, you will need to make any arrangements through the school's athletic director.

In other words, the folks at CHSAA want the press to remember that Franklin won't be the only person in the pool, and the mere mortals taking part deserve to enjoy the experience, too, without being shoved out of the way by photographers snapping shots of Colorado's latest golden girl.

Exception to this rule: if someone beats Missy at something/anything. But don't bet on it.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo