DC Trident Add Annika Bruhn, Simona Kubová; Sian Whittaker Withdraws

The DC Trident of the International Swimming League (ISL) have announced the additions of German swimmer Annika Bruhn and Czech swimmer Simona Kubová to their roster for the 2019 season. The team has also lost Australian swimmer Sian Whittaker, who has opted out off the season for medical reasons.

The 26-year old Bruhn won a World Championship bronze medal in 2015 as part of Germany’s mixed medley relay and swam at the 2016 Olympics, where individually she finished 20th in the 200 free. In short course, she was a semifinalist at the 2018 World Championships, finishing 16th in the 100 free. She most recently represented Germany internationally at the 2019 World Championships, where she was a relay-only swimmer.

Bruhn is generally focused on the 3 shortest freestyle distances (where she’s gone best times in the 50, 100, and 200 in the last year), but does have some versatility to fill a backstroke, butterfly, or IM slot for the Trident if pressed into duty.

The 28-year old Kubová is a veteran of the Czech National Team and from 2011 through 2013 won 11 European medals and 1 World medal, all-but-one of which were in short course meters. She also has a World University Games silver medal in the 200 back.

Kubová is primarily a backstroker, though like Bruhn she does have some versatility. Most of her best times, especially in short course, are at least 4 years old, but she hasn’t been far off in more recent years (56.8 in the 100 SCM back in 2018 vs. a best of 56.2, for example).

Simona Kubová SCM Best LCM Best
100 Free 54.09 – 2015 56.02 – 2018
200 Free 1:56.33 – 2015 2:00.01 – 2017
400 Free 4:24.23 – 2016 4:05.37 – 2015
50 Back 26.26 – 2013 27.78 – 2018
100 Back 56.28 – 2013 59.65 – 2017
200 Back 2:03.06 – 2013 2:09.92 – 2014
50 fly 26.97 – 2017 27.39 – 2014
100 fly 59.54 – 2012 1:00.88 – 2012
200 IM 2:08.61 – 2013 2:13.72 – 2017

Kubová is the 1-to-1 replacement for the Australian Whittaker. Their times in the 50 and 100 are fairly similar (though Whittaker is younger and in the prime of her career), but Whittaker has been much faster over 200 meters – 2:07.4 ini long course.

The Trident, which have an all-female coaching staff and the only female coaches among the 4 American teams, also are the only American team that doesn’t have more men than women signed. The Trident currently have 13 men and 15 women on their announced squad.

DC Trident Current Roster, 2019 ISL Season

Men Women
Zach Apple Anika Apostalon
Kevin Cordes Emma Barksdale
Abrahm DeVine Lisa Bratton
Ian Finnerty Natalie Coughlin
Zane Grothe Bethany Galat
Zach Harting Sarah Gibson
Robert Howard Siobhán Haughey
Jay Litherland Tristan Hollard
Cody Miller Madison Kennedy
Giles Smith Katie Ledecky
Velimir Stjepanovic Leah Neale
Jérémy Stravius Leiston Pickett
Andreas Vazaios Brianna Throssell
Simona Kubová
Annika Bruhn

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About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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