Barcelona, Spain – American Missy Franklin became a member of a select group by winning a sixth gold medal on the final night at the 2013 World Swimming Championships.
The 18-year-old Franklin swam the first leg of the 4x100-meter medley relay and gave the American team, which also included Jessica Hardy, Dana Vollmer and Megan Romano, a lead it didn't relinquish. The squad finished with a time of 3 minutes, 53.23 seconds. The Australians were 1.99 seconds behind, while Russia took bronze.
Franklin became the fourth swimmer to win as many as six golds at the worlds or the Olympics. She joined Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Kristin Otto.
In the penultimate race at this meet, the American team was disqualified in the men's 4x100 medley relay. The gold went to the French squad of Camille Lacourt, Giacomo Perez-Dortona, Jeremy Stravius and Fabien Gilot. The foursome finished in a time of 3 minutes, 31.51 seconds, .13 seconds ahead of the Australians.
China's Sun Yang touched first in the final of the men's 1,500-meter freestyle. The Olympic champion and world record holder joined Aussie Grant Hackett as the only men to sweep the 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyles at a world championships.
Meanwhile, Japan's Daiya Seto bested American Chase Kalisz in the men's 400- meter individual medley and Lacourt took gold in the 50-meter backstroke.
Also Sunday, Russian Yuliya Efimova claimed gold in the women's 50-meter breaststroke, edging world record holder Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania, Hungarian Katinka Hosszu captured the women's 400-meter individual medley and Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands won the women's 50-meter freestyle.