ISL Playoff Match 5: Rylov Is Back, Women’s 100 Freestyle Takes A Hit

2021 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – SEASON 3, MATCH 16 – PLAYOFFS MATCH 5

• Thursday, November 25th – Friday, November 26th
• 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm local time; 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST
• Pieter van den Hoogenband Zwemstadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands
• Short Course Meters (25m – SCM) Format
• ISL Season 3 Schedules, Start Times, & More
• Live Results
• Teams Competing: Energy Standard, London Roar, LA Current, DC Trident
• Day 2 Start Lists

After missing Day 1, Evgeny Rylov has returned for Energy Standard on Day 2 of the ISL’s fifth playoff match, with entries in the men’s 100 back, the mixed medley relay and the men’s backstroke skins.

With Rylov entering the fold, the men’s 100 back will now feature four different winners of the event from this season, with Ryan Murphy, Guilherme Guido and Mark Nikolaev also in the mix.

Rylov’s teammate Kliment Kolesnikov, who swam the 200 back in his place on Thursday, won’t race the 100 back today, but will be there in the skins event. Outside of the skins, Kolesnikov will race the men’s 100 IM.

Emma McKeon remains a relay-only swimmer for London, meaning she won’t compete in either the women’s 100 free—an event she’s won four times this season, including last weekend—or 50 fly today.

The women’s 100 free will actually see three of its top performers absent as Energy Standard’s Sarah Sjostrom and LA Current’s Abbey Weitzeil are also out of the event.

Both Sjostrom and Weitzeil will instead race the 100 IM, with Weitzeil taking over for the absent Beryl Gastaldello for LA. Anastasia Gorbenko will take Weitzeil’s place in the 100 free.

In Sjostrom’s case, Energy Standard has moved Anastasiya Shkurdai out of the 100 IM and into the 100 back (and the backstroke skins), while Femke Heemskerk replaces Sjostrom in the 100 free.

Marie Wattel steps into the 100 free for McKeon and Kim Busch takes her spot in the 50 fly.

Also absent for the LA Current this match is Kathleen Baker. It will be Alyssa Marsh swimming the 100 back in her place (with Gorbenko shifting back to the 100 breast), and Madison Wilson will take on the backstroke skins alongside Ingrid Wilm.

It’s also noteworthy that Duncan Scott remains out of the 200 free and will race the 100 IM and 400 IM for London.