2020 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – SEMIFINAL #2
- Sunday, November 15th: 6-8pm CET/11-1pm U.S. Central
- Monday, November 16th: 6-8pm CET/11-1pm 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: Cali Condors / LA Current / Iron / Toronto Titans
- Full Meet Results
The International Swimming League Semifinals have wrapped. Here are five big storylines from semifinal #2’s second day:
1. Dressel Sets World Record, Leads MVP Race
We saw three world records set in this weekend’s semifinals, and one came today. Caeleb Dressel became the first man under 50 seconds in the 100 IM at 49.88.
Though the entire league has mostly conspired to keep Dressel on the bench during the skin races, the Cali Condor has still found a way to take over the league’s MVP race. That’s tough to do, considering MVP is awarded based purely on points scored, and the skins offer huge point windfalls each week.
Dressel has won 6 meet MVPs in 8 ISL meet appearances. He currently leads season MVP scoring by 71.5 points, a margin that no one is likely to overcome in next week’s final.
2. Glinta, Stewart, Ryan Make Men’s Backstrokes Even More Crowded
The men’s backstrokes have been brutal across the league, with multiple teams loaded in that event. Today, Iron’s Robert Glinta added his name to the mix, winning a tough 100 back field and moving up to #4 in the league this year.
Cali’s Coleman Stewart has done much the same thing, taking second in that race and moving to #5 in the league. Stewart also made the skins final in the 50 back and sits 3rd in the league there. Meanwhile Toronto’s Shane Ryan beat all of those names to win the opening round of the skins.
3. Murphy & King Win League-Leading 4th Skin Races
In five meets this year, Ryan Murphy and Lilly King have each won four skin races. Both would likely have five if their teams hadn’t farmed out one race apiece to their teammates.
LA’s Murphy has won four backstroke skin races. He’s been remarkably consistent in all four. Here’s a look at his times in each of his four skin races, plus his individual 50 back times from those meets for comparison:
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
Individual 50 back
|
|
| Match #1 | 22.80 | 23.28 | 23.88 | 22.99 |
| Match #3 | 22.83 | 23.61 | 24.71 | 23.06 |
| Match #10 | 22.85 | 23.54 | 24.18 | 22.75 |
| Semifinal #2 | 22.93 | 23.76 | 24.23 | 22.76 |
Cali’s King has been just as impressive in her skin races. Here’s the same breakdown of her 50 breaststrokes this year:
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
Individual 50 breast
|
|
| Match #1 | 29.16 | 29.25 | 28.90 | 28.86 |
| Match #8 | 29.72 | 29.94 | 29.04 | 29.20 |
| Match #10 | 29.16 | 29.63 | 29.24 | 29.18 |
| Semifinal #2 | 29.34 | 29.58 | 29.15 | 29.35 |
Both are likely to get another shot at the skin races next week in the final, if their teams can stay unbeaten in the medley relays.
4. Gastaldello Remains Unbeaten In 100 IM &100 fly amid busy slates
LA Current’s Beryl Gastaldello has been busy, keeping up a Dressel-like schedule in most weeks. She swam 8 times in semifinal #2, and extended her career unbeaten streaks in the 100 IM and 100 fly. Gastaldello has won both 100 IMs she’s entered this season – first in the regular-season finale and then again today in semifinal #2.
She also hasn’t lost a 100 fly this season after not swimming the event at all last season. This week’s win was probably her biggest, beating league record-holder Kelsi Dahlia and taking over the ISL record in 55.32.
5. Cali Men Stepping Up Behind Dressel
We’ve noted all year how reliant the Cali Condor men have been on Dressel’s huge scoring, with their men’s roster (Dressel included) scoring just #6 in the league among 10 teams this year.
This week, though, the Condor men stepped up in a big way. They scored 264.5 points, a season-high against one of the tougher fields they’ve faced. (Prior to this week, the Condors were averaging just 211.5 men’s points per meet).
Here are the main standouts from day 2:
- Justin Ress stepped up to take second in the 100 free in 46.3. He also had some massive relay splits this week.
- Eddie Wang re-broke his World Junior Record in the 200 fly, cracking 1:50 at 1:49.89.
- More surprising, Gunnar Bentz looked like himself for maybe the first time this year, taking third in the 200 fly at 1:52.03.
- Coleman Stewart was 2nd in the 100 back at 49.66. He also made the skins final, just the second Cali Condor man to make a skins final this year, joining Dressel.
- Marcin Cieslak completed a 1-2 with Dressel in the 100 IM, and the two lead the ISL ranks this year. He was also third in the 50 fly (22.53).
- Townley Haas stayed undefeated in the 200 free, but teammate Kacper Majchrzak joined him in a 1-2 punch this week.
- Nic Fink is finally starting to come around after missing time with injury. He was 57.37 for 4th in the 100 breast today.
- Mark Szaranek had a breakthrough second-place finish in the 400 IM, going 4:05.19.
its quiet aint no back talk………
I’m still here and upset
There was no give up by Coleman Stewart in this last 50, he was simply exhausted. In the Jonty Skinner swimswam podcast he even said he asked Braden Holloway to lighten the load on the Wolfpack Elite swimmers because they were training so hard. He was dead from training before the meet, then after multiple swims and 2x50s all out on short rest he was exhausted. Cut the crap about him giving up.
This!
Last time I checked, all swimmers at that level train hard and get exhausted. But not all of them put on a show like Stewart before that final 50.
bro all he did was sit down lol
Anybody has a link to the full video of the skins?
Remember when Coleman didn’t shake Dean Farris’ hand after he won the 100 back at 2019 NCAA
Yea everyone out here defending Coleman but I’ve seen some very unsportsmanlike stuff from him
And if you don’t want to be called that then don’t have a third 50 like that
You’re missing his point… He wants Murph to Say it to his face. He never said “I don’t want to be called a b*tch”
Yeah that’s what he said, but I don’t buy that. I don’t think he would have been fine if murph said it to his face. I still think that when you get embarrassed like that you should just stay quiet. He’s feeling understandably embarrassed for the race and that he got called out for it on television
Embarrassed that he got second to the world record holder?… you’re making no sense. Also it is obvious that he wouldn’t have said it to his face, and that Coleman wouldn’t have liked that anyway.
The thing is, what he said was very rude and unsportsmanlike and Coleman called him out for it.
Fair game. Sure, Coleman isn’t perfect either, just like anyone else, but he’s still justified to call out Murphy here.
Watch that third 50 again (and his showy display of exhaustion beforehand) and then ask why he would be embarrassed hahah
Have you ever swam three 50s all out in 6 minutes on live television at the end of a two day meet? I don’t think so… In fact, I’m going to guess that you were sitting on your couch with your legs up while watching these swimmers compete. Stewart had to give it his all in the first two 50s to even make it to the third round; he clearly doesn’t have the same endurance as an Olympic gold medalist and 200 backstroker with the experience of doing this skins race 4 times this season. Stewart is not one to give up, and he certainly did not give up on that third 50. Let’s have a little bit of perspective.
So your argument is not that he gave up, just that he doesn’t train hard enough?
Or he’s not that good?
Or he mis-played it and went to hard in round 2?
And now he’s mad that his money got stolen?
I’m trying to figure out what you think DID happen…
I was sitting at my desk pretending to work, actually, after being gassed after an easy 3k workout earlier in the morning. And yes, I am a b*tch.
Another reason why I think Dressel is a class act, first thing he states in his interviews post race is that he’s thankful to race the other guys and his teammates. Dressel no matter if he DESTROYS anyone in the skins or final races you always see him giving a hand shake at the end.
Please show me one finals race in the NCAAs, Worlds or Olympics where all swimmers shake each other’s hands after the race? I’ll wait
Has joined the chat
Stewart has a good point. Say it to his face.
Equally Stewart could have just had a face to face conversation quietly about what he suspected Murphy said
Well, it’s not what he suspected. It’s pretty clear what Murphy said, several people noticed it during the live coverage. The only doubt, if there is one, is whether or not he was talking about Stewart. If he did, it’s utterly unsportsmanlike. Not to mention it came right after Murphy ‘stole’ Stewart’s money from the final round.
I dont see how he couldve been talking about anything/one other than stewart. For example, if he was talking about his race, he would’ve said “that hurt like a ___”
Go check out Coleman Stewart’s Instagram story….
That really sucks.
Ouf……..
I def feel like he’s jumping conclusions. Did Murphy have an animosity towards him before?
He was looking at Stewart w disgust before the third round. I think he was feeling like “be a professional and get up to race me, dont put on a show on the ground over there over how tired you are”
Very tough look for murph, but I think that’s where the animosity was coming from
I am in agreement with you, I think Coleman should’ve acted differently, but I don’t know if I’d use the word “disgusted”. I’m not sure though, but it just seems a little too intense for me.
Gotta be honest, this changes my opinion about Murph very little
I still respect him as a swimmer, but a little less as a person now
Where was this tough guy Murphy in S. Korea last summer when Rylov, Waddell, Xu and Larkin was pimp slapping him all over the aquatic center
He wasn’t rolling on the ground hufffing and puffing for the cameras
I’ve seen a few swimmers make to the 3rd rd of skins and are out of gas. And they show it before the 3rd race. Flo Man was one that I remember off the top.
I would generally assume misunderstanding before I would assume animosity. In the comments on the live recap post before Coleman’s story, no one else had jumped to this conclusion despite having noticed the Murphy’s comment. When ur out of breath it is easier to mutter one word than “that hurt like a “.
This could be good for swimming. The sport needs some more “bad guys” for rivalries and entertainment purposes if the ISL wants to appeal to a broader audience. Ex: Lochte vs Phelps, Le Clos vs Phelps, Schooling vs Phelps, France vs US 2008, Sun Yang being a tool, people love a good story!
Also, what a compliment to Coleman that Murphy called him that. Looks like Murphy is feeling the heat from the rising backstroker!
Coleman isnt really a rising star when he is the thrid fastest all-time in scy 100 back.
Maybe in terms of the international stage he is