Leryn Franco – Paraguayan athlete

December 25, 2008

By cool-chicks.com

Leryn Franco (born 1 March 1982 in Asunción) is a Paraguayan athlete who specializes in the javelin throw. Her personal best throw is 55.38 metres, achieved in May 2007 in Fortaleza.

Leryn franco at 2004 summer olympics

Leryn Franco’s strong showing at the national championship, coupled with her appearance at the 2003 Pan Am Games, gave her a taste of intense national and international competition. It was now time for her to perform on the grandest stage of all at the Olympics and, in 2004, she was off to Athens to do just that. Competing in the javelin throw, Leryn Franco threw her javelin only 50.37 meters, which placed her at a disappointing No. 42 at the end of competition.

Despite not having achieved the success she wanted in her first Olympic go-around, Leryn Franco continued to practice her favorite sport and devoted some of her free time to modeling. In 2006, she entered a pair of beauty competitions — the Miss Bikini Universe Pageant and the Miss Paraguay Pageant — where she finished in second place. At this point, Leryn was content with her modeling accomplishments but was also aching for more Olympic action.

Leryn franco at the 2008 summer olympics

In 2007, Leryn Franco continued her modeling career by appearing in her very own calendar — another first for her — that came from the gifted lens of reputed photographer Martin Crespo. Although it was a success, Leryn Franco was eager for more javelin and, with the help of hefty sponsorships, she got another chance to compete in the Olympics, this time at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. Even though Leryn Franco won another shot at an Olympic medal and also gained notoriety through her participation in the opening ceremonies, it was all for naught, as she finished second-to-last at the Games.

While Leryn Franco may not have enjoyed the kind of Olympics success that she wanted, she has still earned the chance to represent her country twice at the biggest javelin competition in the world. She’s also forged a successful path in modeling that promises to be brighter and racier in the near future. Word on the street is that her 2009 calendar will feature some particularly revealing photos that will likely make it a top-seller. Whether or not she participates in any future Olympics remains to be seen, but for now, Leryn Franco has her choice of picking up the javelin again or continuing with modeling.

Modeling

In 2006 she was runner-up Miss Paraguay. She participated at the Miss Bikini Universe pageant and also has her own calendar which was shot in 2007 by Martin Crespo.