Japanese superstar Daiya Seto is set to join Team Energy Standard of the International Swimming League (ISL). The addition of Seto comes after the news that World Champion Danas Rapsys and World silver medalist Andrei Minakov dropped off Energy Standard’s roster. Seto is also a world champion, earning 4 LCM and 5 SCM world titles to date.
“I am very happy that I will play a part in this revolutionary new world in swimming, and I am looking forward to my future as part of the Energy Standard team,” Seto said. “I will do my best to contribute as much as I can alongside my teammates.”
Seto is an IM’er and 200 flyer, coming off a 3-medal performance at this summer’s World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. He swept the IMs and took Silver in the 200 fly, establishing lifetime bests in both the 200 IM and 200 fly. His 400 IM lifetime best came from this past Summer as well, meaning Seto has posted his personal bests in all 3 of his primary events within the past few months.
Seto is arguably even more accomplished in SCM than LCM, which is excellent news for Energy Standard, given that ISL will be competed in SCM. He is the current World Record holder in the SCM 200 fly, and has accumulated 12 SCM World Championships medals dating back to 2012. He is also the reigning SCM world champion in the 200 fly and 400 IM. He will be joining Chad le Clos in the Energy Standard fly squad, and Le Clos and Max Litchfield in the team’s IM group.
Here are Seto’s personal bests in SCM:
- 200 fly – 1:48.24 (WR)
- 200 IM – 1:51.09
- 400 IM – 3:56.33
Seto is the 2nd Asian swimmer to sign with the league behind only Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, who lives in the US and trains at the University of Michigan. With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games being held in the region, it’s believed that most of the continent’s top swimmers have opted to put their focus there instead of the ISL.
Energy Standard will participate in the league’s first 2 meets in Indianapolis on October 5th and 6th and in Naples, Italy on October 12th and 13th.
Current Energy Standard Roster, 2019 International Swimming League
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ENERGY STANDARD
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| Simonas Bilis | Charlotte Bonnet |
| Anton Chupkov | Imogen Clark |
| Chad Le Clos | Georgia Davies |
| Max Litchfield | Femke Heemskerk |
| Florent Manaudou | Fantine Lesaffre |
| Ben Proud | Penny Oleksiak |
| Mykhailo Romanchuk | Kayla Sanchez |
| Evgeny Rylov | Emily Seebohm |
| Daiya Seto |
Anastasiya Shkurdai
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| Sergii Shevtsov | Sarah Sjostrom |
| Ilya Shymanovich | Kierra Smith |
| Maxim Stupin | Rebecca Smith |
| Kregor Zirk |
Smart move. He’s already won his berth to Tokyo, so now he can make some money while getting some quality racing in.
I would imagine he isn’t doing it for the money….he is making plenty. Japanese studs are well sponsored and with them hosting and he being their best chance of winning a gold, he is doing fine!
I agree many of the “stars” won’t do all the meets!
Ok. It’s officially over. Energy standard is the best team
I’d wait and see who actually shows up to the meets. No way that Seto is flitting back and forth between Europe and the US for 6 weeks. I give him 2 meets, tops.
Probably, but they just have to get to the final (they will) and all their big guns will turn up for that.
Doesn’t seem fair
Why? All the other teams could have signed him as well
They’re stacked…but if Rapsys and Minakov hadnt withdrawn it would be even more crazy
I initially thought he would be the first East Asian in the league but Siobhán Haughey is signed with DC Trident.