2021 International Swimming League – Match 8, Day 1: Live Recap

2021 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – SEASON 3, MATCH 8

• Saturday, September 18 – Sunday, September 19
• 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST (6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Local Time)
• Piscina Felice Scandone, Naples, Italy
• Short Course Meters (25m – SCM) Format
• ISL Season 3 Schedules, Start Times, & More
• Teams Competing: Energy Standard, London Roar, LA Current, Tokyo Frog Kings
• Omega Live Results
• Match 8 Preview

TEAM ROSTERS/DEPTH CHARTS

• All Ten 2021 ISL Team Rosters
• Energy Standard – Naples Depth Chart
• London Roar – Naples Depth Chart
• LA Current – Naples Depth Chart
• Tokyo Frog Kings – Naples Depth Chart

Season one champions Energy Standard have come back from “bye” week and are re-loaded with Sarah Sjostrom, Florent Manaudou, and Femke Heemskerk to take on the London Roar, LA Current, and Tokyo Frog Kings. During last season’s grand final, Energy placed second, London finished third, and LA rounded out the top four teams. Meanwhile, Tokyo finished fifth last season, just missing the final.

The Roar enters this match undefeated in all six backstroke events from their previous two matches. Today, Minna Atherton and Luke Greenbank will take on the 200 backs while Kira Toussaint and Guilherme Guido are slated for the 50 backs.

Day 1 Start Lists

Day One Lane Assignments:

• Lanes 1&2: LA Current (LAC)
• Lanes 3&4: Energy Standard (ENS)
• Lanes 5&6: London Roar (LON)
• Lanes 7&8: Tokyo Frog Kings (TOK)

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY

Aly Tetzloff jumped to the lead at the first 50 for Tokyo, until Emma McKeon came roaring home for London to nab the 12-point win at 55.44, closing in 29.12. Three-time event champion Anastasiya Shkurdai settled for second at 56.59 over LA’s Anna Ntountounaki.

London scored 17 points total as Energy picked up 10 points to take the early lead in the team standings.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY

LA’s Tom Shields was unstoppable in this race, splitting 22.65/26.25 to hit 48.90 for the 12-point win, out-performing Energy’s Chad le Clos (49.58). LA’s Tomoe Hvas finished one one-hundredth ahead of Tokyo’s Takeshi Kawamoto, 50.24 to 50.25, for a Current 1-3 finish worth 18 total points.

LA and London are now tied for the lead at 24 points, seven points ahead of Energy Standard after the first two events.

Team Scores Update:

1. LA Current/London Roar, 24.0
2. –
3. Energy Standard, 17.0
4. Tokyo Frog Kings, 9.0

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE

London’s Minna Atherton had the second-and-a-half advantage over the field until LA’s Ingrid Wilm unleashed a 29.39 closing 50 to take out Atherton by 0.28s, 2:02.26 to 2:02.54.

However, Sara Franceschi‘s scratch cost LA four points, diminishing Wilm’s 12-point jackpot win to eight points.

Team Scores Update:

1. London Roar, 35.0
2. LA Current, 32.0
3. Energy Standard, 23.0
4. Tokyo Frog Kings, 17.0

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE

London’s Christian Diener built a substantial lead over the field during the first 150. Then, Energy’s Evgeny Rylov and London’s Luke Greenbank came from 5th and 6th place with 27-low splits to challenge Diener at the finish.

Diener was able to hold off the accelerating Rylov and Greenbank to take the win at 1:50.49. Rylov settled for second at 1:50.49, just two one-hundredths over Greenbank’s 1:50.51.

London out-scored Energy in this event 15-8. LA had also earned eight points, extending London’s lead.

Team Scores Update:

1. London Roar, 50.0
2. LA Current, 40.0
3. Energy Standard, 31.0
4. Tokyo Frog Kings, 23.0

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE

Energy’s Evgenia Chikunova battled London’s Annie Lazor during the middle 100 as Tokyo’s Kanako Watanabe pushed the pace from the outside lane. At the finish, it was Chikunova who lunged 0.26s ahead of Watanabe for the 12-point win, 2:18.44 to 2:18.70. Lazor settled for third at 2:19.33 while Tokyo’s Miranda Tucker finished in fourth at 2:22.39.

Energy picked up 16 points to Tokyo’s 12 points, boosting them ahead of LA for second place in the team standings by four points. Meanwhile, Tokyo now trails LA by eight points.

Team Scores Update:

1. London Roar, 56.0
2. Energy Standard, 47.0
3. LA Current, 43.0
4. Tokyo Frog Kings, 35.0

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE

Ilya Shymanovich kept the momentum going from Energy teammate Chikunova with a personal best swim of 2:02.10, worth 12 points, and de-throning three-time event winner Tokyo’s Daiya Seto. LA’s Christopher Rothbauer finished in third place at 2:04.34. Both Shymanovich (Belarus) and Rothbauer (Austria) set national records for their respective nations.

Energy picked up 15 points, surging them into the lead by two points over London. Tokyo also earned 12 points from this event, and they are now tied with LA for third place entering the relays.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 62.0
2. London Roar, 60.0
3. LA Current/Tokyo Frog Kings, 47.0
4. –

WOMEN’S 4 X 100 FREESTYLE RELAY

The Energy Standard women did it again in the 4×100 free relay as Siobhan Haughey (51.32), Femke Heemskerk (51.63), Fanny Teijonsalo (52.91) and anchor Sarah Sjostrom (51.79) powered a 3:27.65 to earn the 38-point relay win. Meanwhile, Tokyo’s relay picked up second-place points by two-tenths over London.

Four teams got jack-potted, including Energy’s 8th-place team that received a two-point deduction. Even so, Energy now extends their lead over London to a 26-point gap.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 98.0
2. London Roar, 72.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 61.0
4. LA Current, 55.0

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE

In his first individual swim of the season, London’s Kyle Chalmers ripped a 20.80, just missing his own Australian record of 20.74. Sneaking in for the seven points at 21.04 was Energy’s Ben Proud, placing ahead of a Tokyo 3-4 finish from Vlad Morozov (21.26) and Pedro Spajari (21.41).

Tokyo now extends their third-place lead over LA to 11 points.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 106.0
2. London Roar, 84.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 72.0
4. LA Current, 61.0

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE

It was insanely close on the last 25 of the women’s 50 free, setting up a photo finish. Taking the 0.03s-margin win was LA’s Abbey Weitzeil at 23.44, breaking her own American record by 0.01s. Energy’s Sarah Sjostrom settled for second place at 23.47. Meanwhile, London’s Emma McKeon also broke 24 seconds at 23.65.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 117.0
2. London Roar, 90.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 77.0
4. LA Current, 76.0

MEN’S 200 IM

London made big moves in this event, securing 22 points courtesy of a 15-point win from Duncan Scott (1:52.73) and a runner-up swim from Vini Lanza (1:54.00). Energy Standard only picked up four points, diminishing their lead over the Roar by one point.

Both Tomoe Hvas, who touched the wall second at the finish, and Abrahm DeVine were disqualified in this race, giving LA a four-point loss from this event versus a point gain.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 121.0
2. London Roar, 112.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 88.0
4. LA Current, 72.0

WOMEN’S 200 IM

At the 150-mark, London’s Sydney Pickrem had gained on Energy’s Mary-Sophie Harvey for a stroke-to-stroke battle for the last 50 free. At the finish, Harvey earned her first ISL career win by 0.06s over Pickrem, 2:05.15 to 2:05.21.

Meanwhile, Tokyo’s Yui Ohashi held off LA’s Anastasia Gorbenko for third place by 0.26s, 2:07.01 to 2:07.27.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 133.0
2. London Roar, 122.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 94.0
4. LA Current, 81.0

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE

Energy Standard had a big showing in this event as 200 breast winner Ilya Shymanovich whipped out a 25.64 for a 19-point victory as teammate Felipe Lima nailed 26.08 for an Energy 1-2 finish. At the same time, Tokyo’s Alessandro Pinzuti (26.23) and Yasuhiro Koseki (26.33) swam another 3-4 finish for the Frog Kings.

Both pairs of London and LA swimmers wound up getting jack-potted in this event, extending Energy’s team standings lead and Tokyo’s third-place position.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 159.0
2. London Roar, 122.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 105.0
4. LA Current, 81.0

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE

It was a wire-to-wire race between London’s Alia Atkinson and Energy’s Benedetta Pilato. Atkinson lunged 0.04s ahead of Pilato for the 24-point win, 29.47 to 29.51. Tokyo’s Miranda Tucker finished third at 30.08.

The remaining five swimmers wound up being jack-potted, including both LA swimmers. Imogen Clark wound up getting disqualified, the Current’s third DQ of the day, giving them another event point loss.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 166.0
2. London Roar, 146.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 111.0
4. LA Current, 79.0

MEN’S 4 X 100 FREESTYLE RELAY

London’s top relay took the 30-point win, featuring Dylan Carter‘s 45.91 split. The Energy men finished in second place just 0.27s ahead of the LA men.

London now trails behind Energy by 12 points. Meanwhile, LA only out-scored Tokyo in this event by two points.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 188.0
2. London Roar, 176.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 121.0
4. LA Current, 91.0

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE

Ingrid Wilm built some late momentum for LA by tying London’s Kira Toussaint for the 50 back win at 26.08, both splitting the jackpot bonus points. Toussaint is now 3-for-3 this season in this event. Energy’s Mary-Sophie Harvey continued off her 200 IM victory with a narrow third-place swim at 26.15.

LA now trails Tokyo by 15 points in the race for third in the team standings.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 196.0
2. London Roar, 182.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 126.0
4. LA Current, 111.0

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE

Guilherme Guido secured his third event win this season with a 22.88 winning time, earning 15 jackpot-aided points for the Roar. Meanwhile, freestyler Ryan Held pulled off a 23.17 to edge out Energy’s Evgeny Rylov by a tenth for second place.

With this edge, Energy now only leads London by five points while Tokyo has a nine-point advantage over LA.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 202.0
2. London Roar, 197.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 131.0
4. LA Current, 122.0

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE

Siobhan Haughey took a big win in this event with 18 earned points from a 4:00.23 swim. Finishing in second place was Tokyo’s Paige Madden at 4:01.19, earning 11 points alone. LA’s Valentine Dumont took third place at 4:04.60 for 8 points.

London’s two swimmers only managed two points together while Tokyo made up 18 points over LA’s 7 points.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 226.0
2. London Roar, 199.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 149.0
4. LA Current, 129.0

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE

It was all Duncan Scott in this event, swimming 3:39.52 to score 13 total points for the London Roar. Meanwhile, LA’s Martin Malyutin and Breno Correia finished 2-3 for the Current, totaling 15 points.

LA was able to make up six points on Tokyo, now 14 points

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 240.0
2. London Roar, 214.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 158.0
4. LA Current, 144.0

WOMEN’S 4 X 100 MEDLEY RELAY

After Ingrid Wilm gave the LA Current the early lead with a 56.25 lead-off, London’s Alia Atkinson (1:03.81) and Emma McKeon (55.45) pushed the Roar into the slight lead. While LA’s Abbey Weitzeil ripped 51.05 on the anchor, London was able to hold off the Current for the 24-point relay win by one-hundredth.

Tokyo now has a small four-point lead over LA for third place.

Team Scores Update:

1. Energy Standard, 260.0
2. London Roar, 238.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 168.0
4. LA Current, 164.0

MEN’S 4 X 100 MEDLEY RELAY

Ilya Shymanovich split 55.15 on the breast leg to further Energy Standard’s relay lead. While London’s Kyle Chalmers charged home in an eye-popping 44.98, Energy took the 0.06s advantage for the 18-point relay win.

At the end of the session, Energy’s lead over London is now 22 points while Tokyo has a two-point advantage over LA for third place.

Team Scores After Day One

1. Energy Standard, 282.0
2. London Roar, 260.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 182.0
4. LA Current, 180.0

Women’s Skins Selections

• Energy takes out breaststroke
• LA takes out butterfly
• London chooses backstroke

Men’s Skins Selections

• LA takes out freestyle
• London takes out breaststroke
• Energy chooses butterfly