Energy Holds Slight Lead On London, Chalmers Comes Out Firing (Match 8, Day 1)

2021 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – SEASON 3, MATCH 8

• Saturday, September 18 – Sunday, September 19
• 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST (6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Local Time)
• Piscina Felice Scandone, Naples, Italy
• Short Course Meters (25m – SCM) Format
• ISL Season 3 Schedules, Start Times, & More
• Teams Competing: Energy Standard, London Roar, LA Current, Tokyo Frog Kings
• Omega Live Results
• Match 8 Preview

DAY 1 RECAP

TEAM SCORES THRU DAY 1

1. Energy Standard, 282.0
2. London Roar, 260.0
3. Tokyo Frog Kings, 182.0
4. LA Current, 180.0

Energy Standard is the only undefeated club remaining in Season 3 of the International Swimming League (this is only their third match), and that perfect record will be put to the test on Day 2 of Match 8 after a competitive opening day sees them holding a slim 22-point margin on the London Roar.

In arguably the most competitive match so far this season, we’ve also got a fantastic battle for third brewing between the Tokyo Frog Kings and LA Current, who are separated by just two points.

ENERGY CAPITALIZING ON LONDON’S BR HOLE

London missing top male breaststrokers Adam Peaty and Kirill Prigoda was clearly a factor in the team trailing despite several swimmers performing optimally on Day 1.

Energy Standard went 1-2 in the men’s 50 breast with Ilya Shymanovich and Felipe Lima, and Shymanovich also won the 200 breast with Charlie Swanson chipping in three points for the club in sixth.

As a result, Energy Standard scored 41 points in the two male breaststroke events, while London managed a mere four, with three of their four swimmers in the events jackpotted by Shymanovich.

Those two races alone mark a 37-point swing in Energy Standard’s favor, and we also saw Shymanovich drop a scintillating 55.15 breast split on the men’s 400 medley relay that Energy Standard ultimately won over London by just six one-hundredths of a second despite a scorching 44.98 anchor from Kyle Chalmers.

For the day as a whole, the men’s 200 breast was a bit of a catalyst that launched Energy Standard into the driver’s seat, with that win, coupled with the women’s 400 free relay directly after, putting them atop the standings early on.

From there, the Roar made a couple of big pushes by winning the men’s 400 free relay and the men’s 50 back with Guilherme Guido, coming within five points of first, but they never regained the lead after the early stages of the day. Siobhan Haughey‘s 400 free victory really firmed up Energy Standard’s place atop the standings at the day’s conclusion.

CHALMERS ROARS FOR LONDON

Kyle Chalmers‘ aforementioned 44.98 anchor leg on the men’s 400 medley relay was absolutely scorching, setting him up for a good 100 free tomorrow and some potentially mouth-watering battles down the line with Caeleb Dressel.

Unfortunately, we won’t get to see what Chalmers could produce in the skins tomorrow, with Energy Standard ultimately selecting butterfly, but having him on top form is crucial if London has designs on making some noise in the postseason.

In addition to that anchor leg, Chalmers also won the 50 freestyle in a time of 20.80 and led off London’s winning men’s 4×100 free relay in 46.13.

FROG KINGS, CURRENT LOCKED IN TIGHT BATTLE FOR THIRD

The LA Current have had a trio of runner-up finishes so far this season, while the Tokyo Frog Kings have finished third and fourth in their two match appearances so far in Naples, resulting in the clubs sitting at opposite ends of the ISL standings for the time being (LA in second, Tokyo in ninth).

However, the two clubs are locked in a tightly-contested battle for third place here in Match 8.

It was actually Tokyo that appeared to hold a firm grasp on third throughout the majority of Day 1, going up by as many as 32 points midway through the day.

Success is always going to be hard to come by when you don’t have any wins, which Tokyo didn’t, but they still had some solid performances from the likes of Paige Madden (second in the women’s 400 free) and breaststrokers Alessandro Pinzuti and Yasuhiro Koseki, who avoided getting jackpotted by Shymanovich and combined for 11 points in the men’s 50 breast (an event where the Current scored zero).

But LA made a late charge, buoyed by a solid showing in both 50 backstrokes and a combined 36 points in the medley relays to close things off (compared to 24 for Tokyo), bringing them within two points of third heading into Day 2.

SKINS SELECTIONS

The skins picks were as follows:

WOMEN’S SKINS SELECTIONS

• Energy takes out breaststroke
• LA takes out butterfly
• London chooses backstroke

MEN’S SKINS SELECTIONS

• LA takes out freestyle
• London takes out breaststroke
• Energy chooses butterfly

London will likely lean on Kira Toussaint and Minna Atherton in the women’s backstroke skins, while Energy Standard will be expected to turn to Chad Le Clos and Andrey Zhilkin on men’s fly.