ISL 2020: Romanchuk Won 800 Free Test Race With 3 Jackpots

2020 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE

• Duna Arena – Budapest, Hungary
• Short Course Meters (SCM) format
• ISL Technical Handbook
• 2020 ISL Scoring Format
• 2020 ISL Prize Money and Bonuses
• Omega Results

The International Swimming League tried out an experimental 800 free on the day of its season finale, with points awarded at checkpoints along the way.

The original plans called for the swim to be awarded points almost like the three-round skin races, with swimmers earning points for their position at the 100-meter, 400-meter, and 800-meter marks.

Mykhailo Romanchuk had won the event in 7:25.73, which would also set a new European record if ratified. It was a nailbiter, with Henrik Christiansen going 7:25.78 for second and also going under the old European record of 7:29.17 held by Yannick Agnel from 2012.

Felix Auboeck tried an alternate strategy to take advantage of the format – he went out fast and led to both the 100-meter and 400-meter checkpoints. Though he fell to third in 7:31.89, he came within two points of outscoring Romanchuk.

Zane Grothe was fourth in 7:36.68, but also followed Auboeck’s method, sitting second at the 100-mark and coming within two points of Christiansen’s total.

Full results

Experimental Scoring Format

Points given to the top five at the 100-meter mark, and again at the 400-meter mark:

• 1st  – 9
• 2nd – 7
• 3rd – 5
• 4th – 3
• 5th – 1

Points given to the fop seven at the finish (with only seven swimmers competing):

• 1st – 9
• 2nd – 7
• 3rd – 6
• 4th – 5
• 5th – 4
• 6th – 3
• 7th – 2

Jackpots at each checkpoint:

• 100m: 2 seconds
• 400m: 9 seconds
• 800m: 15 seconds

The cutoff time – swimmers lose points if they finish slower than this time:

• Cutoff time: 7:56.00

Here’s the big twist: if a swimmer gets jackpotted for the whole 800, they lose any points they earned at the first two checkpoints. Those points are then re-distributed to the leader at that checkpoint like a jackpot would be.

Here’s how the scoring broke down for this test race:

100m Checkpoint

1. Auboeck – 53.14 – 9 points
2. Grothe – 53.52 – 7 points
3. Christiansen – 54.26 – 5 points
4. Romanchuk – 54.34 – 3 points
5. Aubrey – 54.94 – 1 point
6. Hendrickx – 55.75 – 0 points
7. Kalmar – 56.78 – 0 points

400m Checkpoint

1. Auboeck – 3:42.42 – 9 points
2. Romanchuk – 3:43.08 – 7 points
3. Christiansen – 3:43.65 – 5 points
4. Grothe – 3:45.88 – 3 points
5. Aubrey – 3:48.37 – 1 point
6. Hendrickx – 3:50.96 – 0 points
7. Kalmar – 3:54.86 – 0 points

Full 800m

1. Romanchuk – 7:25.73 – 18 points (including 9 jackpot points)
2. Christiansen – 7:25.78 – 7 points
3. Auboeck – 7:31.89 – 6 points
4. Grothe – 7:36.68 – 5 points
5. Hendrickx – 7:43.81 – 0 points (jackpotted)
6. Aubrey – 7:49.34 – 0 points (jackpotted)
7. Kalmar – 7:51.36 – 0 points (jackpotted)

Because Aubrey was jackpotted at the finish, his two points from the earlier checkpoints are redistributed to Auboeck, the leader at those checkpoints. That ultimately leaves us with the scoring chart below, with jackpot-aided or -reduced scores noted with an asterisk: