International Swimming League match seven concluded with an emphatic victory for Energy Standard and a European 100m breaststroke record for Ilya Shymanovich after two days of intense competition at the Duna Arena.
Dominance in sport – particularly in team events – can sometimes make competition one-dimensional: on the one hand, extraordinary achievements but on the other, a lack of challenge does not lead to the intensity and unpredictability that can make it so compelling.
However, that was certainly not the case in Budapest as Team Iron overhauled Toronto Titans in a fascinating tussle which saw Emre Sakci emerge as MVP following his win in the skins after Energy coach James Gibson chose to go with breaststroke for the skins.
So too the nature of the ISL where every race is essentially a final.
Breaststroke Battles
Ilya Shymanovich was at the centre of a storm when Adam Peaty’s coach Mel Marshall called out the Belarus swimmer and Russia’s Vladimir Morozov for employing illegal dolphin kicks throughout their breaststroke races.
Shymanovich – the second-fastest man in history over 100br long-course – set a European record of 55.86 in Match 6 over 100m but it generated much controversy with Britain’s James Guy also accusing him of cheating.
On Friday he cut 0.01 from that time to touch first this time in his tussles with Sakci to set a new continental mark.
Ida Hulkko and Jenna Laukkanen made it an Iron one-two in the women’s race, the latter coming from fourth at halfway with a second 50 of 33.73 to take second.
It meant a 50-100 double for Hulkko with 15-year-old Benedetta Pilato third on Friday as 0.2 separated the first three home.
Sakci On The Crest Of A Wave
While some swimmers appearing to be contending with fatigue, the Turk has been getting quicker with each round.
He propelled himself to third all-time in Match 4 when he went 25.50 in the 50br to eclipse the European mark set at last year’s European Short-Course Championships in Glasgow by Vlad Morozov.
Only South African pair Cameron van der Burgh and Roland Schoeman had gone faster and Sakci leapfrogged the latter when he went 25.29 on Thursday.
Not only did he become the second-fastest man in history but his performance has only been bettered by Van der Burgh’s world mark which has stood at 25.24 since 2009.
The Turk had Izmir tattooed across his heart in big, black capital letters – the city that suffered the brunt of casualties in the earthquake last Friday – and made the hand heart gesture.
He came second to Shymanovich in the 100 and the Belarussian set a lifetime best of 25.57 to become the fourth-fastest in history in the opening skins race with Sakci in second.
Sakci touched first in 25.85 in the second round to book a head to head with Shymanovich – the Turk demonstrating exemplary time management.
The pair bumped fists before the final but it was Sakci who stopped the clock at 25.57 to win the skins and collect 33pts, propelling himself to MVP.
He also went second in the season MVP standings with 170.5pts, a sliver adrift of Beryl Gastaldello.
Iron Steam Into Second
Iron did not reach the final in the inaugural ISL season with Energy Standard and London Roar dominating the European standings.
This season though has been a complete contrast and on Friday they overhauled a 30-point deficit to finish 57 ahead of Toronto Titans.
There were three wins on the spin: Ranomi Kromowidjojo lowered her ISL 50 fly record to 24.59 to get the ball rolling in a one-two with Melanie Henique, Nicholas Santos continued to defy time with a 22.04 jackpot win before Hulkko led home the 100br.
Katinka Hosszu and Marco Orsi also pulled out wins in the 200 fly and 100IM respectively before David Verraszto won the 400IM, overhauling Max Stupin in the final metres.
The Hungarian took silver at the 2017 long-course worlds in this very pool where the crowd were so passionate and raucous you could feel the floor rumble.
Kromowidjojo then reached the final of the skins where a formidable Sarah Sjostrom showcased her power while Sakci won his event.
The match-changing nature of the skins has been evident since the inception of the ISL and was essentially responsible for Energy becoming champions in the final in Las Vegas last December.
Any team would want the calibre of Kromowidjojo and Sakci: they highlight the importance of having good sprinters on the squad and being proactive in recruitment.
Team Iron – Steam Iron!
DC Trident Heading Home
And it was goodbye to the Trident who bow out and return home. There had been some fine performances from them over the last few weeks with Zach Apple taking the 100 free on Friday.
For Apple – who won double relay gold with the USA at the 2019 worlds – it was one of a number of fine performances over the past weeks in Budapest, the 23-year-old also taking third over 200 free.
So too Zane Grothe, Amy Bilquist, Bethany Galat, Abrahm Devine, Zach Harting and Emma Barksdale who out-touched Hosszu over 400IM on Friday.
More third to fifth-placed finishes were needed however, every place and point vital and all too often DC were found in the bottom spots.
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