2019 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE: GROUP A, MATCH 1
- Saturday, October 5th – Sunday, October 6th
- 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST
- Indianapolis, IN
- Indiana University Natatorium (IUPUI)
- Short Course Meters (SCM)
- Group A: Cali Condors, DC Trident, Energy Standard, Aqua Centurions
- Live Stream, Event Schedule, and Viewer’s Guide
- U.S. Live Stream (ESPN3)
- Full Results (PDF)
Australian swimmer Mitch Larkin has one of the most difficult decisions to make of all swimmers going into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics: whether to swim the 200 IM or the 200 backstroke, as the two events conflict perfectly with each other in the competition schedule.
In 2019, Larkin entered the World Championships on a high after breaking the Australian Record in the 200 IM at the World Championship Trials, but with the door wide open for 200 IM gold at Worlds (his Trials time would have won the race by 4-tenths), Larkin finished 7th in 1:57.32.
Even without a direct conflict on the World Championship schedule, Larkin skipped the 200 back at Worlds.
Speaking after the first session of the first meet in the history of the International Swimming League on Friday, Larkin discussed where he is in the decision making process for Tokyo, and which event he feels has his heart. He says that he’ll probably swim both races at Trials, but that he’ll probably know which he’s going to choose (and that it won’t be both). In the ISL, he’s getting the opportunity to swim both events, albeit in short course.
On Saturday, he swam a 1:49.92 for 2nd place in the 200 back and a 23.57 for 5th place in the 50 back. He also swam 2 relays, making 4 total races in the span of 2 hours for the Cali Condors.
Larkin is the 2016 Olympic silver medalist in the 200 backstroke and the 2015 World Champion in the same event.
Hagino & Seto on their home turf in the 2IM? That’s gotta factor into the decision as well.
Wouldn’t discount the Americans either, I think Chase will bounce back next year and the second American will also be in the hunt(whoever’s it is)
Jeah they will
Ain’t gonna matter cuz he won’t show up when it counts.
He’s an Olympic medalist and a World Champion .
The 200BK and 200IM are hardly unique combinations. Ok, with scheduling you can’t please everyone but what really irks is that the men’s finals in those two events take place consecutively. Why not put them on opposite ends of that evening’s finals program? If there was two hours rest time as opposed to just 30 minutes then maybe Mitch Larkin and others could swim both and do justice to both.
Then you couldn’t have a 10 day format at Olympics! (Editorial: who needs a 10 day swim meet besides NBC)
The IOC would need to consult with NBC to see if they approve f any scheduling changes given NBC has the power “when” swimming gets to happen at the Olympics
NBC have there very own “bought and paid for” IOC member, Mr Gilady who just, by coincidence, happens to (still) chair the IOC Television Commission. Ostensibly representing ISR but his day job is Senior VP NBC Sports
Well that certainly explains all the crap with timing etc
Ah so that’s why everyone else gets screwed over so that Americans can have swimming finals at prime time.
That their TV station doesn’t even show live anyway half the time . Unbelievable
Solution: replace 200 semis with stroke 50’s. Everyone wins. Especially Michael Andrew
I mean, there are 50s at Fina World Championships, but Andrew hardly won anything there.
My psychic powers tell me he will pick 200m IM with a bit of convincing from his coach
Does anyone else think Mitch is a bit of a hearth throb.. quite a good looking young man and intelligent as well
Apparently most of australia’s top female backstrokers have thought this at one point or another. Only to find that he’s normally lining the next one up at the same time.
Were you one of them or just in the business of defaming behind a computer ?
He was dating Megan nay and cheated on her with a female backstroker I won’t name as I don’t think it’s public knowledge who.
he then dated seebohm and allegedly cheated on her also.
This is common knowledge in Aus swimming
How do you exactly say that he was cheating ?🤔
And even if he did, what business is it of yours? I didn’t know this was a gossip site.
But people were talking a lot about Hosszu and Tusup’s divorce drama here? Why It’s suddenly not OK when it comes to Larkin? Also, Seebohm’s performance has been affected dramatically after their break up, so it’s not totally irrelevant to swimming.
I’m not sure it’s fair to blame her drop in performance on the break up especially when it’s well over a year ago.
See below…
rylov gonna be 2 gud