As teams arrive, or prepare to arrive, in Lewisville, Texas for the first Group B meet of the 2019 International Swimming League season, the Los Angeles Current have made some last-minute changes to their lineup.
Of the 27-swimmer lineup announced earlier this week, the Current will lose 2 swimmers for Lewisville, though they’ve added 3 to their roster to bring them to 28 expected to swim this weekend.
American swimmer Chase Kalisz will miss the meets in Lewisville and Budapest, the Current reported to SwimSwam on Wednesday evening. Kalisz is expected to join the team for the American derby event in Maryland in November. The 25-year old Kalisz was the 2017 World Champion and 2018 Pan Pac Champion in both the 200 IM and 400 IM. At the 2019 World Championships, he took one medal: bronze in the 200 IM. He missed the final altogether in the 400 IM.
Kalisz’ versatility is valuable in the ISL format, as he would have been a possible top-half contributor in all 5 races over 200 meters, in addition to the 400 IM. The Current still have Andrew Seliskar with a very similar skill set, and have added Matthew Josa in Kalisz’s place. Josa is versatile like Kalisz, but prefers the shorter distances: he’s a very good 100 backstroker, 100 butterflyer, and 200 IMer. In 2019, his best times were 50.4 in the 100 free mid-season, 52.2 in the 100 fly at the Pan American Games, and 23.8 in the 50 fly mid-season.
The Current’s women’s sprint group takes another hit with Israeli swimmer Andi Murez out of the meet in Lewisville. The Current, who still had room on their 14-swimmer women’s roster before Murez’s withdrawal, have added Linnea Mack and Bailey Andison to their group for Lewisville.
The Current are already going to be without sprinter Amy Bilquist for Lewisville.
Mack is the primary 1-to-1 replacement for Murez. The former UCLA Bruin had a breakout long course season in 2019 at 23-years old, swimming best times in the long course 50 free (25.35), 100 free (54.78), and 100 fly (58.87). Murez’s best time in the 50 free, also from 2019, in long course is a little better than Mack’s (25.1), and she’s been a little faster in her career and in 2019 in the 100 free. Mack’s 100 fly time would make her valuable on most teams, but the Current are stacked in the women’s sprint butterfly races with Kendyl Stewart, Farida Osman, Aly Tetzloff, and Beryl Gastaldello all strong options in that race.
Bailey Andison, a first-year pro from Indiana University, is primarily an IM swimmer, with breaststroke being her best single-stroke specialty. Her long course bests in the 200 and 400 IM, both from 2019, are 2:11.33 and 4:45.20, respectively. The women’s IM fields are fairly thin in the ISL, so a peak performance from her could steal some surprise points. Kathleen Baker (200 IM), Leah Smith (400 IM), Ella Eastin (200 IM and 400 IM), and Anastasia Gorbenko (200 IM and 400 IM) are also IM options for the Current.
Summary of Changes:
Out for Lewisville:
In for Lewisville:
LA Current Roster for Lewisville:
| MEN | WOMEN | |||
| Ryan | Murphy | Kathleen | Baker | |
| Tom | Shields | Leah | Smith | |
| Jack | Conger | Kendyl | Stewart | |
| Dylan | Carter | Margo | Geer | |
| Josh | Prenot | Farida | Osman | |
| Matthew | Josa | Katie | Mclaughlin | |
| Will | Licon | Amy | Bilquist | |
| Blake | Pieroni | Annie | Lazor | |
| Michael | Chadwick | Aly | Tetzloff | |
| Ryan | Held | Linnea | Mack | |
| Nathan | Adrian | Ella | Eastin | |
| Matt | Grevers | Beryl | Gastaldello | |
| Felipe | Lima | Anastasiya | Gorbenko | |
| Andrew | Seliskar | Bailey | Andison | |
It is homecoming weekend in Athens, GA!
This is just one of the reasons why the ISL will struggle to seem legit. You never see LeBron James or Tom Brady just miss a game unless it’s injury related. If the swimmers don’t even care then why should we?
LeBron James and other NBA players sit out all the time leading up to the post season or once they’ve been eliminated. It’s called load management
Do you know why he backed out? I assume you are a Georgia fan! It wasn’t because he is racing too much
Maybe Tom Brady, But Lebron sits all the time, all of the major athletes do, especially when the game “doesn’t matter”. And they aren’t traveling around the world.
Swimmers need to get behind ISL otherwise after 1 or 2 seasons we are out of business. I feel like every meet some of the stars dont go because it doesnt fit in their schedule. Even Peaty? Come on. ISL is circuit for the swimmers…I dont think some of the stars understand this. Just look at Sjoestroem that gave up thousands of dollars in the Fina World Cup to give the ISL a chance… I think a lot of stars that had commit ar now destroying that ISL 🙁
I’m not so sure. They’re also at risk of overexposure for both their personal brands and the league brand. People are going to get tired of Sjostrom winning the skins every meet. For the superstars and their personal brand, it’s important to leave the fans wanting more. I think for some (Dressel, Peaty, Simone, others) skipping meets is part of their personal marketing strategy to avoid becoming stale in the biggest marketing year of their lives — the Olympic year. Show up occasionally, annihilate everyone, then let the mystique build and the fans wanting more.
I think you’re being dramatic. A huge majority of the big names are showing up, with a few absences sprinkled here and there.
Also, willing to bet Sjoestroem and other big names have contracts that make up for any difference in WC winnings.
@Gramezipt The ISL needs to prove that it is sustainable which as of right now it doesn’t look like it. As much as I like the idea, it doesn’t promote what we’ve come accustomed to in swimming. I was told by one of the swimmers that they are trying to do 10 meets next year and way more the 3rd year?
The people funding this don’t have unlimited resources and based on what ive heard the first 2 meets cost over 100 mil.
Thats probably the same amount of $ as all Division 1 swim programs budget for the year combined… lol.
Maybe the swimmers dont want to travel around the world every few days to race… Read more »
100 millions 🤔 No way maaan.
I heard that the budget was 20 millions for this season.
Grigorishin said, as of mid-September, that he had invested $25 million in the league. I suspect that number will grow and continue to grow, but I also suspect that it won’t hit 100 million. https://swimswam.com/federica-pellegrini-is-earning-around-40000-euros-as-isl-ambassador/
Interesting, Just relaying what I was told by a couple of swimmers. Budget aside, its hard to commit to these meets with your normal meets you had planned, Sponsorship responsibilities, and life. Especially when they are in Italy or wherever around the world.
@GRAMEZIPT:
What business are swimmers in now? The international swimmers unions, international coaches union and other quasi union organizations were created many times in the past as opposition to national swimming associations and their international association FINA. Why? For one reason only – money distribution. They covered their movements with different nice words like “clean sport”, or “fight against corruption” etc. But in the essence it is all about money, getting in the power position to influence the money distribution.
Is ISL solving this problem? Are swimmers getting what they have been expecting?
At the beginning of this movement there was a very strange notion that should everybody sign with ISL against FINA and dollars will pour… Read more »
Australuan news had an interesting bit of info . The somewhat silent partner in ISL was the CIA chief in Moscow for 5 years. . ( Daniel Harmon or similar ) . Grigorishin has always had a very real interest in swimming but this adds another interesting angle with Ukrainians being a front for xy&z .& rightly a current battlefield of American politics ( a very existential battle ) I don’t want to say CIA conspiracy because they are often incompetent but they have angled to take over Sports for some time .( Fifa)
Im not playing the man here & have nothing against Konstantin . In fact Id like to have a look at whst they have in… Read more »
By skipping this meet Kalisz is missing the opportunity to tell us he “never knows what [he’s] doing in short course” in the post race/ meet interview.
He is comparatively (to LCM) terrible in short course. Particularly 200 IM.
Any reason why he suddenly decided to withdraw?
We know why Dwyer skipped a big meet this summer
Hehehe I think chase has been hanging with Conor too much
Is this serious?
lol
oHhhhh MYYYYY
Regarding Conor Dwyer . These things are sentto make us think .
Looking at everyone from UGA pro group at ISL meets so far, I have to wonder how different his training is. I guess not needing the money really make a difference.
Didn’t he back out of some meet in Europe last winter at the last minute?
Can I make a bet and say he retires after next summer?
I’ll take that bet