ISL Match Eight, Day One Notes: Beata Nelson Finding a Fit for Her Skill Set
As an athlete at the University of Wisconsin, Beata Nelson established herself as a star in the short-course pool. Her portfolio includes NCAA championships and American-record performances, and when she became eligible to compete in the International Swimming League, her services figured to be a windfall for one of the league’s 10 franchises.
It was Cali who won the Nelson lottery.
Helping the Condors take the lead over the London Roar, 255 to 246.5, Nelson secured a first-place finish in the 200 backstroke when she covered the race in 2:02.31. Nelson also tallied points in the 400 medley relay, where she handled the backstroke leg on Cali’s B relay, which took fifth. With the Condors and Roar both undefeated, every point matters, and Nelson has been a consistent provider.
Nelson’s collegiate career, like many others, was short-circuited by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of the 2020 NCAA Championships, Nelson was positioned to defend her junior-year crowns in the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley. But the cancellation of the competition by the pandemic created an unsatisfactory end to her college days.
By racing for the Condors in the ISL bubble in Budapest, Nelson has been able to take advantage of her stellar skill set in the short-course pool. That talent was on display in the 200 backstroke on Friday as Nelson, behind a huge final turn, rallied to claim a .23 triumph over Tokyo’s Natsumi Sakai.
One of the questions about Nelson is whether she will be able to eventually translate her ability in the 25-meter pool to the 50-meter course that will define the 2021 campaign. Heading into next year’s Olympic Trials, the United States is already stacked in the women’s backstroke events, and the addition of Nelson to the mix would enhance storylines.
If nothing else, Nelson has found a niche in the ISL, and has become a key cog for a Cali team that has set its sights on unseating Energy Standard, the defending league champ.
Peaty vs. Dressel: A Showdown of Stars
Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL
Perhaps the most entertaining clash of Match Eight’s opening session was the 50-meter breaststroke duel between the London Roar’s Adam Peaty and the Cali Condors’ Caeleb Dressel. Two of the biggest names in the sport, Peaty and Dressel don’t see much of one another in the water, the exception being the breaststroke sprint, where Dressel can enter Peaty’s realm.
Fueled by his usual excellence off the start, Dressel built an advantage over Peaty, only to have the Brit run him down at the finish. At the wall, it was Peaty who prevailed in 25.98, with Dressel just behind in third place in 26.15. The New York Breakers’ Michael Andrew grabbed second, clipping Dressel by .01.
The meeting of Peaty and Dressel served as an enjoyable spectacle, as it brought together men who will be headliners at next year’s Olympic Games. Peaty is the most dominant athlete in the sport in a single event, defined by his status as the only man in history to go under 58 and 57 seconds in the 100 breaststroke. Meanwhile, Dressel is the best overall swimmer on the planet, the reigning world champion in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
Still the Queen
As long as she keeps her unbeaten streak intact, it’s going to receive recognition in these notes. Behind victories in the 50 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke, along with the 400 medley relay, the Cali Condors’ Lilly King ran her string of ISL wins to 30 straight. That stretch dates to the beginning of the league’s inaugural season.
King has been nothing short of superb in ISL action. After opening the day with an ISL record of 2:15.80, which was made possible by attacking the front half of the race, King came back and held off the London Roar’s Alia Atkinson in the 50 breaststroke. Her final contribution was a strong breaststroke leg on the Condors’ triumphant 400 medley relay.
A Lone Win
Sitting third in the team standings with 210 points, Tokyo used its depth to create a 42.5-point gap over the New York Breakers for third place. The Frog Kings’ sole victory was supplied by Leah Smith, who won the 400 freestyle in 3:59.70. Smith was pleased with the sub-4:00 clocking and, after moving from the L.A. Current to Tokyo, has given the Frog Kings a strong presence in the middle-distance freestyle event.
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