The International Swimming League is set up around sprinting. The league’s management has not been shy about the fact that they believe that the sprints appeal most to a mainstream-sports television audience, and the league has been established in such a way to reflect that belief. That includes the high-points ‘skins’ races, the absence of any races over 400 meters, the cutaways during the broadcasts of the 400 IM, and the choice of relays.
It’s not a coincidence that sprinters dominate the ranks of the ISL’s season MVP standings.
But what teams have also found in recruiting is that globally, depth in many of these 200m+ events is lacking as well. Several teams reported to SwimSwam trouble filling slots in their lineups in events like the 200 fly and 400 IM.
We thought it was worth honoring those “Iron” swimmers who did the less glamorous dirty work of the ISL, racing in the 200 meter + events. Below is a list of the top 20 points scorers in ISL 2020 in races 200 meters or longer.
Some of these swimmers, like the top name Hali Flickinger, focused almost entirely on 200m+ races. Others, like Siobhan Haughey and Ryan Murphy, did well across distances.
Notably absent from this list: the dominant Lilly King, who finished 2nd in the league this season in MVP scoring. It seems like, if 200 breast specialist Marco Koch is on the list, and Ryan Murphy, who swam only 1 200m+ event, the 200 back, are on this list, she should be too.
While she did win the 200 breaststroke in 5 of the 6 meets she swam it in, she didn’t have the same huge jackpots that we saw from Koch and Murphy. She would check in just behind the listed swimmers with 73 points in the 200 breaststroke this season.
The Tokyo Frog Kings have a lot of entries on this list, in spite of not making the final, which highlights that they were very good in the longer races, but that their undoing was in the sprints, especially on the women’s side.
2020 ISL Season Highest Scorers in Races 200m or Longer
Thanks to Barry Revzin for Compiling this Data:
| Swimmer | Team |
Points
|
| Hali Flickinger | Cali Condors | 218 |
| Siobhan Haughey | Energy Standard | 141 |
| Sydney Pickrem | London Roar | 131 |
| Yui Ohashi* | Tokyo Frog Kings | 116 |
| Danas Rapsys | Energy Standard | 114 |
| Duncan Scott | London Roar | 99 |
| Beata Nelson | Cali Condors | 98 |
| Leonardo Santos* | Iron | 97 |
| Katinka Hosszu* | Iron | 95 |
| Tessa Cieplucha* | Toronto Titans | 94 |
| Sakiko Shimizu* | Tokyo Frog Kings | 93 |
| Kosuke Hagino* | Tokyo Frog Kings | 93 |
| Marco Koch* | New York Breakers | 90 |
| Kelsey Wog* | Toronto Titans | 88 |
| Ryan Murphy | LA Current | 88 |
| Abbie Wood* | New York Breakers | 84 |
| Helena Gasson | LA Current | 82 |
| Andreas Vazaios | London Roar | 80 |
| Tom Shields | LA Current | 80 |
| Zsu Jakabos | Energy Standard | 77 |
Asterisks represent swimmers whose teams did not qualify for the semifinals, so they had one less meet than the other swimmers on the list.
Flickinger is the new Hosszu
Braden: Do you think thexperimental 8free will attarct more of the distance specialists and/or folks like Hosszu, Belmonte Garcia, Leah Smith, Zach Harting, etc? I like the intent of the 800, and the teams should be able to recruitt a few “jack-of-all-trades” swimmers at 200+ distances.
My guess is that teams will do less to try and force their best 200 freestylers or 400 IMers into the 400 free, and instead be able to recruit more specific 400/800 freestylers.
My hope is that they’d accompany this addition with an extra roster slot on each team.
Sounds like a plan, if that is it. I hope they can achieve that; will make it more interesting and diverse.
Top 4 are female. Interesting.
Really bummed Margalis had to leave early, she’d be very high up on this list otherwise.
Flickinger getting the love she deserves
I liked the ISL. I hope there will be less favoritism in the selection process and more equal teams. A lot of top level athletes are left out from the big show, probably with faster times than some.
Of course all the top swimmers will want to go with Dressel.
More equal teams would mean MORE top level athletes left out of the big show. Not saying that’s a plus or minus, but you seem to be making opposing points.
The whole selection process is about who you know, leaves out some good athletes. Or we can just leave it like this and have Cali condors win every year. Having some sort of draft would make it more fair and competitive.
ISL all stars meet?
You mean short course worlds
Speaking of longer distance swimmers, did I miss it or was there no article on the 800 free test race?
Yeah.. and 2 swimmers almost broke the WR…
I think they’re waiting because we don’t know if the swims are official times yet.
Didn’t seem to stop swimming world from doing a recap. Seems it was a super fast race