Aqua Centurions Add 9 Names To Final Roster, Including WJR Holder Papastamos

The Italy-based Aqua Centurions saw a mass exit of Italian swimmers from their originally-announced roster for the 2020 International Swimming League season, but they re-filled their roster with 9 new names.

Fabio Santi and Apostolos Papastamos join the men’s roster, which now has 15 athletes. That roster did lose Italian backstroker Simone Sabbioni in the most recent roster update.

The women added seven more names, bringing the team to a safe 16. After the wave of Italian withdrawals, the team was down to 9 women and at risk of not being able to field a full lineup.

Here’s a look at the new additions, then some specifics on where they’ll fit in the depth chart:

• Fabio Santi (BRA)
• Apostolos Papastamos (GRE)
• Kathryn Greenslade (GBR)
• Katalin Burian (HUN)
• Stefania Pirozzi (ITA)
• Alexandra Touretski (SUI)
• Theodora Drakou (GRE)
• Tain Bruce (GBR)
• Lara Grangeon (FRA)

Fabio Santi

Santi becomes the eighth Brazilian on the Aqua Centurions roster, a key area of recruitment for the team. He’s mostly a backstroker who adds some depth, though he definitely won’t cover the loss of Sabbioni, easily the team’s top backstroker across all three distances before his withdrawal.

Best Times (with SCM conversions if needed):

• 50 back (LCM): 25.63 (conversion: 25.02)
• 100 back (LCM): 54.86 (conversion: 53.65)
• 200 back (LCM): 2:00.17 (conversion: 1:57.76)

Apostolos Papastamos

Papastamos is an IMer who should help provide depth behind the departed Travis Mahoney. He’s the current reigning World Junior Record-holder and World Junior champion in the 400 long course meter IM.

Best Times (with SCM conversions if needed):

• 200 IM (LCM): 1:59.62 (conversion: 1:56.42)
• 400 IM (LCM): 4:11.93 (conversion: 4:05.53)

Kathryn Greenslade

Greenslade will immediately jump in as the top Aqua Centurion 200 backstroke, an event that was thin for the Centurions even before Silvia Scalia bowed out. Greenslade should also build some depth in the 200/400 frees, and even though she’s not really an IMer, she might be the team’s top option in the 200 IM with Sara Franceschi off the roster.

Best Times (with SCM conversions if needed):

• 200 back (SCM): 2:03.23
• 200 IM (SCM): 2:12.26
• 400 free (SCM): 4:05.35
• 200 free (SCM): 1:54.67
• 100 free (SCM): 54.45

Katalin Burian

Burian should slot in as the team’s second 200 backstroker behind Greenslade, which is a great addition this late in the game. In the 50 and 100 backs, she adds some depth, with Silvia Scalia bowing out.

Best Times (with SCM conversions if needed):

• 50 back (SCM): 28.07
• 100 back (SCM): 58.88
• 200 back (SCM): 2:04.79

Lara Grangeon

Grangeon is a high-ceiling addition who really boosts the IMs. The vast majority of her best times are from five or so years ago, but they far outpace career-bests from anyone else on the roster. Grangeon was 4:27.3 in the 400 IM in 2015, but did go 4:27.9 as recently as 2018. No one else on the AQC roster has been within nine seconds of that.

Grangeon should also be the team’s top 200 IMer, even if she can’t come close to her 2:08 from 2015. And she’s the clear top option in the 200 fly with Madeline Groves and Ilaria Bianchi out.

Best Times (with SCM conversions if needed):

• 400 IM (SCM): 4:27.31
• 200 IM (SCM): 2:08.39
• 200 fly (SCM): 2:03.85
• 100 fly (SCM): 58.98

Stefania Pirozzi

Pirozzi helps cover the loss of Franceschi in the IMs. Pirozzi should be the team’s second 400 IMer behind Grangeon. Her 4:31 career-best is a little misleading, since it comes from way back in 2015, but even the 4:37.0 Pirozzi put up last year would be easily better than anyone else on the Aqua Centurions roster outside of Grangeon.

Most of the times below are a bit dated. Pirozzi was 2:14.5 in the 200 IM last year and 2:07.2 in the 200 fly, but both should still put her near the top of the Aqua Centurions depth chart.

Best Times (with SCM conversions if needed):

• 400 IM (SCM): 4:31.39
• 200 IM (SCM): 2:10.57
• 200 fly (SCM): 2:05.05
• 100 fly (SCM): 1:00.32

Alexandra Touretski

The AQC roster has been brutalized by butterfly withdrawals from Silvia di Pietro, Elena di Liddo, Ilaria Bianchi, and Madeline Groves. Touretski (listed as Alexandra on the ISL site, but in many results as Sasha Touretski) should fill in on the sprint end as a potential starter in the 50 and 100 fly.

Best Times (with SCM conversions if needed):

• 50 fly (SCM): 26.15
• 100 fly (SCM): 57.98
• 100 back (SCM): 59.60
• 50 free (SCM): 24.76

Theodora Drakou

Drakou is a pure sprinter who might be of most use in the skin races. Most of her best times come from way back in 2010, but she’s gotten in the same ballpark more recently. In the 50 free, Drakou was 24.6 a decade ago, but 24.96 in long course as of 2018. That converts to a 24.1, which would be about the #2 sprinter on the AQC roster.

In the 50 fly, she was 27.1 back in 2011, but 27.8 more recently in 2017.

Best Times (with SCM conversions if needed):

• 50 free (SCM): 24.69
• 50 fly (SCM): 27.17
• 50 back (SCM): 27.71

Tain Bruce

Bruce joins Grangeon and Pirozzi as the new wave of IMers at the top of the depth chart. Her 200 IM would be the second-fastest on the team for the moment, with Franceschi out. Bruce could also factor into the 400 IM and 100 fly.

Best Times (with SCM conversions if needed):

• 200 IM (SCM): 2:12.13
• 400 IM (SCM): 4:46.52
• 200 fly (SCM): 2:08.77
• 100 fly (SCM): 57.15
• 50 fly (SCM): 26.43

Full Aqua Centurions Roster