ISL Match Five Notes: Freya Anderson & Kira Toussaint Are Part Of The Pride For London Roar

Freya Anderson
Freya Anderson. Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL

Phew! The first day of match five of the International Swimming League came to an end with this writer exhaling loudly.

Every turn had been tumbled and every tight relay takeover induced a wince and sharp intake of breath.

But what a competition. Completely unpredictable. The lead had gone back and forth and back and forth again between London Roar and LA Current before the former grabbed it once more and refused to relinquish it.

Roar will enter the second day in pole position with 283.5pts and with the choice of stroke in the women’s skins – knockout races where the two remaining swimmers go head to head – thanks to victory in the medley relay.

LA Current, whose surge was curtailed somewhat when their women’s team was DQd in the medley relay, are second with 218pts ahead of Tokyo Frog Kings and DC Trident.

Anderson Sizzles For London Roar

If 2020 had unfolded how we all anticipated at the turn of the year, Freya Anderson would have recently left Ellesmere College Titans and coach Alan Bircher to head to the National Centre Bath.

However, the pandemic intervened and the teenager made an early switch to be guided by Dave McNulty, a man whose track record on poolside speaks volumes. Jazz Carlin, Michael Jamieson, Siobhan O’Connor and Joanne Jackson among his charges to have enjoyed success in Olympic waters. Mel Marshall visited world, European and Commonwealth podiums and is now coach to Adam Peaty and heading up Roar on poolside.

Anderson was on the British mixed medley relay team that came third at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, a year after four relay medals – two of them gold – at the European Championships a year earlier.

freya-anderson-

Freya Anderson: Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Last December she won her first senior individual medals when she did the 100/200 free double at the European Short-Course Championships in Glasgow.

Her form earlier this year – where she took chunks not slivers off her PBs – indicated a fine showing in Tokyo.

And how her star continues to rise.

The 19-year-old was making her London Roar debut on Friday after her arrival in Budapest was delayed along with her housemate James Guy, Tom Dean and Holly Hibbott. A mixed 4×200 relay if ever there was one.

First up was the 4×100 free relay with Anna Hopkin swimming the swiftest lead-off of the field in 52.08 to hand over to Anderson who ensured Roar would remain ahead at halfway with a leg of 51.52. Only Abbey Weitzeil had a speedier leg in the entire race as she went 51.03 on the Current anchor.

Maria Kameneva (52.11) and Marie Wattel (51.77) earned maximum points for Roar for the first time in the match at the seventh time of asking.

Anderson was back in the water minutes later where she finished second in the 50 free in 24.06, a new PB, to earn more points for the Roar.

Then the women’s 4x100m medley led off by Kira Toussaint (56.65) who handed off to Alia Atkinson (1:04.42) with Marie Wattel going 55.74 for the fly with Anderson diving in for the anchor leg. And there she went 51.04.

It was a day of consistent excellence for Anderson whose presence has augmented a fine Roar line-up.

And a day when the prospect of a fine Tokyo 2020 seemed to move ever closer.

Swimming World spoke to Anderson earlier in October. Read all about the girl who hid behind her mum in tears on poolside convinced she wasn’t good enough, forbidden i-Pads at boarding school and girl power with Marshall.

Back To Front

Coming into the 50 backstroke, Beryl Gastaldello had won 10 straight events and had been MVP in Current’s previous match.

All streaks have to come to an end though and they did with a performance of power from Kira Toussaint, the Dutchwoman winning in 25.96, 0.47 ahead of Linnea Mack of DC Trident (26.43) with Gastaldello in third.

So fast was Toussaint’s finish that she slapped the wall hard and seemed to blow and wince.

The jackpot win saw Roar take a 12.5pt lead over Current.

kira-toussaint

Kira Toussaint: Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL

Come the men and Ryan Murphy was the man in the water for the Current: anointed ‘Mr Money’ by coach Dave Marsh, he had won the skins last weekend as the team surged to victory.

Murphy had a very slight lead going into the turn but Guilherme Guido – minus the beard he had sported last time out – came off the wall with such power that it gave him the momentum to propel himself into the lead and into the wall first.

Guido was the only man in the field to go sub-23, taking top spot in 22.86, with his team-mate Christian Diener in fourth as Roar extended their lead, 211.5pts to 186.

The day ended with Toussaint leading the race to MVP with 27pts ahead of Gastaldello (26) and Murphy (23.5) with Anderson and Wattel joint sixth.


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