Audio By Carbonatix
Sorry, Missy Franklin, but unless Senator Marco Rubio’s bill to exempt medal-winning Olympians from paying taxes passes, you’re going to owe Uncle Sam another $8,000-plus.
That’s because Franklin just won a gold medal in the 200 meter backstroke, setting a world record in the process.
As noted by Fox News in the post linked above, Franklin finished the race in two minutes, 4.06 seconds, three-quarters of a second faster than previous planetary record holder Kirsty Coventry, a Zimbabwe swimmer who wore a bodysuit that was subsequently banned.
Silver medalist Anastasia Zueva of Russia and U.S. teammate Elizabeth Beisel, who took the bronze, finished well over a second behind Franklin — a sizable margin at this level of competition.
Keep Westword Free
We’re $2,500 away from our spring campaign goal!
We’re aiming to raise $20,000. Your support ensures Westword can continue watching out for you and our community. No paywall. Always accessible. Daily online and weekly in print.
Among those who witnessed this feat was U.S. Olympic basketballer Andre Iguodala, who tweeted the following:
Just saw Missy Franklin break the 200m backstroke record!
#teamusa— Andre Iguodala (@mindofAI9) August 3, 2012
The rest of us will have to wait until tonight: Thanks, NBC! But it’ll be well worth waiting for.
More from our Sports archive: “Missy Franklin owes $21,000 in taxes for medals: Should Olympians be exempt?“
