ISL Semi-Final 1, Notes: Peaty Scorches To 100Br WR: Farewell To Tokyo And ‘Valiant’ Breakers

Adam Peaty London Roar International Swim League by Mike Lewis D5D_7869

Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis / ISL

Adam Peaty set a new 100m breaststroke world record as Energy Standard and London Roar booked their places in the final of season two of the International Swimming League in Budapest.

Peaty stopped the clock at 55.49 to eclipse the previous record of 55.61 set by Cameron van der Burgh set on this very day 11 years ago in Berlin.

It was the second world mark in as many days for London Roar following Kira Toussaint‘s record-breaking swim in the 50m backstroke on Saturday.

There was an Asian record of 51.12 for Siobhan Haughey in the 100 free and national marks galore.

While Energy and Roar progress to the final, it was time to say goodbye to Tokyo Frog Kings and New York Breakers.

The Frog Kings have been competitive in their debut season and have dominated the men’s and women’s 400IM and the sight of Kosuke Hagino once more moving through the water was welcomed by all.

So too the Breakers who have produced some fine racing from Michael Andrew and Marco Koch to name but two as well as the emergence of Abbie Wood at the same Duna Arena where in 2017 she hit her lowest point in swimming.

Peaty Simply Roar-Some For London

Peaty is the long-course world-record holder over 50m and 100m and has not been beaten in an Olympic-sized pool in the latter since making his senior debut at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

The 25-year-old – coached by Mel Marshall at the National Centre Loughborough – lined up next to Ilya Shymanovich and was fourth when the field rose from the dive.

Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL

By the halfway mark, the Uttoxeter-born swimmer was 0.01secs ahead of Shymanovich who was having the better of the turns with the Briton faster through the water.

Peaty had a long stroke into the final turn and the Belarussian was slightly ahead only for Peaty’s momentum to take him past the man to his left and into the wall.

He beat the water and touched his heart before turning to the massed ranks of London team-mates who were indeed roaring.

Ominously for his rivals Peaty declared he could go faster while dedicating the performance to his family.

He told the ISL:

“Ilya took so much out of me on those turns but for me in that last length I was like there’s no-one that works harder.

“That’s what we’ve been doing for the last 10 years for moments like that.

“It’s all about a learning process: that isn’t my best swim. It’s the world record but I know I can go faster and that’s for my family tonight.”

Peaty has not competed in the short-course on a regular basis: there were three silvers at 2014 worlds and four European medals in total across the 2015 and 2017 editions.

When Mark Foster put it to him that he couldn’t now say he was a short-course swimmer, Peaty said:

“I’ve been putting it off for about six years now but when you’ve got a great team here and back home analysing the data, it makes it all worth it.

“It is my victory but it is as much theirs as well.”

Peaty returned for the skins – knockout races with the two remaining swimmers going head to head – and promptly broke the British record he set on Saturday, lowering it to 25.48 in the opening round before going on to win the final.

He still didn’t get MVP though: that went to Sarah Sjostrom with 65pts to Peaty’s 52.5.

Alia Atkinson: Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu/ISL

Alia Atkinson had executed a superb race to take the women’s 100br in 1:02.66 – 0.3secs off the world record she jointly holds with Ruta Meilutyte.

Duncan Scott set a new British record of 1:40.76 in the 200 free with a clear victory over Danas Rapsys, his second national mark in as many days following his 200IM blast on Saturday.

He said: “It was a big day for the Roar and there were some outrageous swims – to secure the final place is the cherry on top. This is just another building block and as Mel said it’s about fine tuning the little things, as we have a big challenge ahead.”

There was a Canadian record of 4:23.68 for Sydney Pickrem in the 400 IM.

Tokyo Frog Kings Conclude Fine ISL Debut

The team based in the Japanese capital has been a sterling addition to the ISL, dominant in the 400IMs and competitive in many others although let down by their relays.

There was another fine demonstration on Sunday.

Suzuka Hasegawa went five for five in the 200 fly, her unmatchable opening speed propelling her to a 1.43sec lead at halfway.

Sakiko Shimjizu has been on her team-mate’s toes all season and was third on Sunday with Svetlana Chimrova overhauling her on the final 25.

Kosuke Hagino and Yui Ohashi came away with 100% records in the longer medley, Runa Imai won the women’s 100IM with clear distance to Sarah Sjostrom and Takeshita Kawamoto took the men’s 50 fly.

All in all, a fine debut season by the team fronted by Kosuke Kitajima.

‘Valiant’ New York Breakers Make Proud Exit

Michael Andrew claimed his first win of ISL 2020 – and a jackpot at that – in the 100IM despite the attention on the freestyle leg of Vlad Morozov of the Tokyo Frog Kings.

Arina Sukova won the 50 fly in 24.87 with six strokes into the wall to take victory over Madeline Banic with Sjostrom third.

Michael Andrew: Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu

Emily Escobedo has been a consistent performer in Budapest and she took third in the 100br with Molly Renshaw setting a new British record of 1:04.73 in fifth.

Abbie Wood has absolutely blossomed with the Breakers and finished third in the 400IM with Brandonn Almeida replicating that in the men’s race.

Breakers general manager Tina Andrew could not have been prouder of the efforts shown by her team, saying:

“We have fought valiantly to carry on and I am so impressed with my team to be able to be here yesterday and today, to be in the semi-finals.

“I definitely can say we’ve been the underdogs and to make it is such an achievement so absolutely so proud of every single one.

“It has been a team – they’ve come together as a team.”

Of the victories by her son Michael and Surkova, Andrew added:

“Excellence breeds excellence and this camp has shown me again that when these guys come together and everybody does their thing it rubs off on each other. I can see it with the world records being broken and everybody is getting faster.

“New York Breakers is going out with a bang: yesterday we had a little bit of a slow start but the way they performed today they are incredible.”

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