American woman makes history in swimming.
Missy Franklin is the first woman to win six gold medals at a world championship.
BRASILIA, Aug 4 (Reuters) - American Missy Franklin became the first woman to win six gold medals at a single World Swimming Championships on Sunday, helping the United States team win the women's 4x100 medley relay.
The 18-year-old swam her first 100 meters, backstroke, in Barcelona. The American triumph followed her titles in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke, the 200-meter freestyle, and the 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle relays.
Franklin still finished fourth in the 100-meter freestyle last Friday.
The sixth gold medal for the young American means she has surpassed the previous record held by her compatriot Tracy Caulkins and Australian Libby Trickett.
Before her, only East German swimmer Kristin Otto had achieved this feat, but only at an Olympics, when she won six gold medals in Seoul in 1988.
(By Iain Rogers)