Seven Swimmers & Two Relays Remain Unbeaten In ISL History

Lilly King is unbeatable.

At least, she has been across two ISL seasons and six individual matches. The Cali Condor has not lost a 50, 100 or 200 breaststroke, nor a medley relay in six meets. She’s an incredible 25-for-25 in ISL event wins.

King’s much-discussed dominance got us curious: what other swimmers are undefeated in a specific ISL event across their careers?

We break down the undefeated below, led by seven swimmers and two relay teams that are unbeaten across two years of competition.

‘True’ Undefeated Across 2019 & 2020 Seasons

These swimmers competed in both 2019 and 2020 and have not lost a specific event across those two seasons.

• Lilly King (CAC): 50 breast
  • 4/4 in 2019
  • 2/2 in 2020
  • Plus one skins win in 2020
  • Unbeaten even across all three rounds of skins
• Alia Atkinson (LON): 50 breast
  • 3/3 in 2019
  • 2/2 in 2020
  • Plus one skins win in 2020
  • Unbeaten even across all three rounds of skins
• Beryl Gastaldello (LAC): 50 fly
  • 4/4 in 2019 (one tie)
  • 3/3 in 2020
• Lilly King (CAC): 100 breast
  • 4/4 in 2019
  • 2/2 in 2020
• Lilly King (CAC): 200 breast
  • 4/4 in 2019
  • 2/2 in 2020
• Cali Condors: Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay
  • 4/4 in 2019
  • 2/2 in 2020
• Energy Standard: Women’s 4×100 Free Relay
  • 4/4 in 2019
  • 2/2 in 2020
• Szebaztian Szabo (AQC): 50 fly
  • 3/3 in 2019 for Iron
  • 3/3 in 2020 for Aqua Centurions
• Melanie Margalis (CAC): 400 IM
  • 4/4 in 2019
  • 1/1 in 2020 (didn’t swim it in week 2)
• Hali Flickinger (CAC): 200 fly
  • 3/3 in 2019
  • 2/2 in 2020
• Siobhan Haughey (ENS): 200 free
  • 3/3 in 2019 for DC Trident
  • 2/2 in 2020 for Energy Standard

Technically Undefeated All-Time

These swimmers are technically undefeated for their careers, but really are only undefeated in 2020. They fit into one of two categories:

1. ISL rookies who did not compete last year
2. Swimmers who didn’t swim a specific event last year, but are undefeated in it so far this year

Rookies:

• Yui Ohashi, TOK: 200 IM (rookie)
• Yui Ohashi, TOK: 400 IM (rookie)
• Emre Sakci, IRO: 50 BR (rookie)
  • including all rounds of skins
• Danas Rapsys, ENS: 400 FR (rookie)
• Suzuka Hasegawa, TOK: 200 FL (rookie)
• Runa Imai, TOK: 100 IM (rookie)
• Katsuhiro Matsumoto, TOK: 200 FR (rookie)
• Kosuke Hagino, TOK: 400 IM (rookie)

Veterans:

• Beryl Gastaldello, LAC: 100 FL (didn’t swim it last year)
• Marie Wattel, LON: 200 FR (didn’t swim it last year)
• Ranomi Kromowidjojo, IRO: 50 FL (didn’t swim it last year)
• Maddy Banic, ENS: 50 FL (didn’t swim it last year)
• Sarah Sjostrom, ENS: 100 IM (not an event last year)
• Anastasiya Shkurdai, ENS: 100 IM (not an event last year)
• Caeleb Dressel, CAC: 100 IM (not an event last year)
• Florent Manaudou, ENS: 100 IM (not an event last year)

Undefeated In 2020 Only

These swimmers lost a race in 2019, but haven’t yet lost in 2020. Some have only swum once or twice, though:

• Sarah Sjostrom, ENS: 100 fly
• Tom Shields, LAC: 100 fly
• Lisa Bratton, TOR: 200 back
• Radoslaw Kawecki, CAC: 200 back
• Kelsey Wog, TOR: 200 breast
  • 2nd to King in all three 2019 swims for CAC
• Marco Koch, NYB: 200 breast
• London Roar: Women’s 4×100 free relay
  • Won 2/4 in 2019, losing only to Energy Standard
• Florent Manaudou, ENS: 50 free
  • including all rounds of skins
  • 2/4 in 2019, losing only to Dressel
• Sarah Sjostrom, ENS: 50 free
  • 3/4 in 2019, losing only to Cate Campbell
• Kasia Wasick, NYB: 50 free
• Melanie Margalis, CAC: 200 IM
  • 3/4 in 2019, losing only to Pickrem
• Ilya Shymanovich, ENS: 50 breast
• Aqua Centurions: Men’s 4×100 free relay
• Olivia Smoliga, CAC: 50 back
  • including all rounds of skins
  • 3/4 in 2019, lost US Derby to Gastaldello & Baker
• Melanie Margalis, CAC: 400 free
• Leah Smith, TOK: 400 free
• London Roar: Women’s 4×100 medley relay
  • 3/4 in 2019, lost only to Cali Condors
• LA Current: Men’s 4×100 medley relay
• Sarah Sjostrom, ENS: 100 free
  • 2/4 in 2019, lost only to McKeon & Cate Campbell
• Ranomi Kromowidjojo, IRO: 100 free
• Zach Apple, DCT: 100 free
• Tom Shields, LAC: 200 fly
• Olivia Smoliga, CAC: 100 back
  • 3/4 in 2019, lost only to Atherton
• Kira Toussaint, LON: 100 back
• Kylie Masse, TOR: 100 back
• Guilherme Guido, LON: 100 back
  • 3/4 in 2019, lost only to Rylov
• Townley Haas, CAC: 200 free
• Alia Atkinson, LON: 100 breast
  • 2/3 in 2019, lost only to Breeja Larson
• Ilya Shymanovich, ENS: 100 breast
  • 2/4 in 2019, lost only to Peaty
• Energy Standard: Mixed 4×100 free relay
  • 3/4 in 2019, lost only to London
• Max Litchfield, ENS: 400 IM
• David Verraszto, IRO: 400 IM