5 Big Things From Day 2 of the ISL’s Match #8

2020 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – MATCH 8

• Thursday, November 5: 4pm-6pm CET/9am-11am U.S. Central
• Friday, November 6: 4pm-6pm CET/9am-11am U.S. Central
• Duna Arena – Budapest, Hungary
• Short Course Meters (SCM) format
• ISL Technical Handbook
• 2020 ISL Scoring Format
• 2020 ISL Prize Money and Bonuses
• How To Watch
• Omega Results
• Teams: London Roar, Tokyo Frog Kings, Cali Condors, New York Breakers
• Full Results

With 8 of 10 regular season matches down, we’re getting a good sense of the top teams and swimmers in the 2020 ISL season. Here are five big things from day 2 of today’s match #8:

1. Freya Anderson‘s Impact

After missing London’s season opener, Freya Anderson has been absolutely lights out for the Roar in two matches. She’s scored 35.5 and 37 points individually, and has been a massive relay weapon.

Today, Anderson won the 100 free (51.87) and 200 free (1:52.60), moving up to #2 in the league this season in the latter. Her biggest contribution, though, was a blazing 50.9 split on the end of the mixed free relay, moving London past Cali for the event win and moving the Roar up to #2 in the league for the year.

2. Ress Steps Up, Among others for Cali men

Cali has been desperately searching for some support for top men’s scorer Caeleb Dressel. This week, some key swimmers stepped up.

Justin Ress taking second in the 100 free was huge. Ress went 46.53, a tenth faster than his season-best and enough to get second overall. His rise allowed Cali to leave Dressel off the mixed free relay and still wind up second, just a tenth out of the win.

Other key men to step up today for Cali: Eddie Wang, who won his second 200 fly of the year, Coleman Stewart, who was second in the 200 back, and Townley Haas/Kacper Majchrzak, who went 1-2 in the 200 free.

3. Tokyo’s IM King & Queen

Through three matches, the Tokyo Frog Kings have never lost a 400 IM – men or women.

Kosuke Hagino has won three straight for the men. He’s steadily improved week-to-week, from 4:02.6 in week 2 to 4:01.5 in week 3 to 4:01.4 today. Hagino holds the league’s best time this year, and beat the league’s #2 swimmer handily today.

Meanwhile Yui Ohashi has won three straight on the women’s side. Her 4:25.53 today ranks second in the league, behind only a 4:25.48 from Melanie Margalis. Ohashi has been between 4:25.5 and 4:26.5 in all three of her swims this year, showing remarkable consistency.

4. Beata Nelson & the Back-for-IM gamble

With the top 8 teams pretty well locked into the postseason already, the Cali Condors have been able to experiment with their lineup some, gathering more information for potential postseason lineup strategies.

Today, they took Beata Nelson out of the 100 backstroke to take on the 100 IM. That was a bold call on one level: in two prior matches, Nelson had been second in the 100 back both times, losing only to teammate Olivia Smoliga.

But moving Nelson – an elite IMer and backstroker in the NCAA format – to the IM netted a big win there for Cali. Her 58.37 was Cali’s second-best time in the event this year.

Sherridon Dressel was good enough in the 100 back (57.14 for fifth) to cover for Nelson (season-best 56.2). And Nelson’s IM time would put her in the mix with the league’s best. Sarah Sjostrom leads the league at 57.75, but hasn’t swum that event since week 1, and has taken on a significantly lighter event load as her back injury heals. Meanwhile Tokyo’s Runa Imai didn’t swim the event today. And if our power ranks hold, Tokyo might be the first team left out of the final. That would open up the season finale for Nelson – here’s what the ISL ranks look like right now, with teams not likely to make the final italicized:

• 1 Sarah Sjostrom (ENS) – 57.74
• T-2 Runa Imai (TOK) – 57.94
• T-2 Melanie Margalis (CAC) – 57.94
• 4 Anastasia Gorbenko (LAC) – 58.06
• 5 Abbie Wood (NYB) – 58.16
• 6 Anastasiya Shkurdai (ENS) – 58.34
• 7 Beata Nelson (CAC) – 58.37
• 8 Miho Teramura (TOK) – 58.57
• 9 Abbey Weitzeil (LAC) – 58.59
• T-10 Yui Ohashi (TOK) – 58.69
• T-10 Sydney Pickrem (LON) – 58.69

5. Battles of the Unbeatens, Revisited

Yesterday, we noted the undefeated swimmers going head-to-head in this week’s match. Here’s how those battles turned out.

Suzuka Hasegawa (TOK) over Hali Flickinger (CAC) – 200 fly

Flickinger had won five straight 200 fly races, dating back to last year. But ISL rookie Hasegawa took the head-to-head win and remained undefeated in her one ISL season. Hasegawa is now 3-for-3 and holds the league record.

Kira Toussaint (LON) over Olivia Smoliga (CAC) – 100 back

Smoliga was undefeated this year and had only lost once last year. But for the second-straight day, Toussaint ended Smoliga’s unbeaten run by beating Smoliga head-to-head in the 100 back.

Lilly King (CAC) over Alia Atkinson (LON) – 100 breast

This one came down to the wire, with the careeer-unbeaten King besting Atkinson, who hadn’t lost a 100 breast yet this year and only last once last year.

Townley Haas (CAC) over Katsuhiro Matsumoto (TOK) – 200 free

Haas is now 2-for-2 in 200 frees on the year. Matsumoto had won two for Tokyo, but faded to 4th today for Tokyo.

No contest: Margalis vs Ohashi – 400 IM

Margalis did not enter this event today, with Cali leading fairly handily in points by that time. She won all four of her appearances in 2019, but has only swum the event once in 2020, so her unbeaten streak will be one to watch in the postseason.