Sjostrom & Manaudou Power Energy To Strong Lead After 1st Day Of International Swimming League

International Swimming League Debut

The League is live. The Indiana University Natatorium (IUPUI), Indianapolis, something like three quarters of all current Olympic and World Champions, led by official ISL ambassadors Nathan Adrian, Cate Campbell, Caeleb Dressel, Katinka Hosszu, Katie Ledecky, Florent Manaudou, Ryan Murphy, Adam Peaty, Federica Pellegrini and Sarah Sjostrom, are celebrating the birth of the International Swimming League with some fast swimming.

Points are simple enough: 9 for the win, 7 for second, descending through 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 for eighth and last home.

• After the first 10-min break in the 2-hour made-for TV show, the Cali Condors held a lead at 86 points,Energy right behind with 83, a gap opened up to DC Trident, 64, and Aqua Centurions, on 60. 
• At the second break in the session, Energy Standard held a slight lead over Cali Condors, 195 to 189.5, with DC Trident and Aqua Centurions battling for third, on respective points of 142, 134.5
• Cali Condors had the edge in the women’s match, on 129 over Energy’s 106
• Energy dominated the men;’s match, on 144 points, Aqua Centurions closest on 119.5, the team’s women lagging behind the competition on 44 points and with work to do on day 2.
• Sarah Sjostrom (Energy), a string of wins and only wins to her name, tops the women’s leaderboard after day 1, with 22.5 ranking points, which add up to money prizes for individual athletes
• Florent Manaudou (Energy), a strong comeback 50m free under his belt, tops the men’s leaderboard on 18.54, just half a point ahead of teammate Chad Le Clos after the first day.
• The swims of the day came from: Sjostrom in the 100m butterfly (55.65) and 50m freestyle (23.58); Manaudou in the 50m freestyle (20.77); Le Clos in the 100 ‘fly (49.65); Siobhan Haughey in the 200m freestyle (1:52.88) and, in the 50m breaststroke, Lilly King and Molly Hannis, on 29.23 and 29.56 respectively.

Sarah Sjostrom’s take on the day:

Flo-Mo’s Return:

Day 1 Winners:

• Women’s 100 Butterfly – Sarah Sjöström, Energy Standard – 55.65

• Men’s 100 Butterfly – Chad Le Clos, Energy Standard – 49.65

• Women’s 50 Breaststroke – Lilly King, Cali Condors – 29.23

• Men’s 50 Breaststroke – Nicolo Martinenghi, Aqua Centurions – 26.03

• Women’s 400 Individual Medley – Melanie Margalis, Cali Condors – 4:25.77

• Men’s 400 Individual Medley – Jay Litherland, DC Trident – 4:06.92

• Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay – Energy Standard (Oleksiak, Sjöström, Sanchez, Heemskerk) – 3:28.63

• Men’s 200 Backstroke – Evgeny Rylov, Energy Standard – 1:49.68

• Women’s 200 Backstroke – Kylie Masse, Cali Condors – 2:01.89

• Men’s 50 Freestyle – Florent Manaudou, Energy Standard – 20.77

• Women’s 50 Freestyle – Sarah Sjöström, Energy Standard – 23.58

• Men’s 4×100 Medley Relay – Energy Standard (Kolesnikov, Shymanovich, Le Clos, Bilis) – 3:23.11

• Women’s 200 Freestyle – Siobhan Haughey, DC Trident – 1:52.88 (Hong Kong record)

• Men’s 200 Freestyle – Breno Correia, Aqua Centurions – 1:44.21

• Women’s 50 Backstroke – Olivia Smoliga, Cali Condors – 26.41

• Men’s 50 Backstroke – Kliment Kolesnikov, Energy Standard – 23.29

• Women’s 200 Breaststroke – Lilly King, Cali Condors – 2:18.25

• Men’s 200 Breaststroke – Anton Chupkov, Energy Standard – 2:04.03

• Men’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay – Energy Standard (Shevtsov, Manaudou, Le Clos, Girev), 3:08.77

Potted race reports and videos below the points and prize money…

THE POINTS after Day 1

The idea was sort of Duel in the Pool meets NCAA after an Olympic training camp x many, with super troupers trained on a Who’s Who of speed in the pool – as a TV event. More on that later.

• Ledecky said on the cusp of battle: “I really wanted to be there for the start – I am really excited to be a part of history”.
• Pellegrini’s take: “I think it’s a very positive thing that the swimmers all stood together to make this happen. We have to continue to do that. It’s a new game and we have to work at it.”

Women’s 50m breaststroke

Mitch Larkin’s thoughts on the day:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlzwU1r-CQ0

First day done…

The women’s 100m butterfly marked the start of a long-awaited global Pro-Team event in swimming. Four teams take to their blocks this day, two US-based, two Europe-based, all with racers from many nations and each with up to 24 swimmers, 12 men and 12 women, available to race from a pool of up to 32.

The session witnessed the first big global 50m freestyle race of Florent Manaudou‘s comeback. The Frenchman, Olympic 50m free gold in 2012, silver in 2016, quit the sport after the Rio Olympic Games but opted back in when news of the League and its potential sparked his interest.

The Indy pool in ISL livery – Photo Courtesy: Dan D’Addona

The pool was in lock down before the start of the session so that the League can delight us with a series of surprises and thrills during the first two-hour match. Well give you a considered view of how that went in the fullness as the meet unfolds.

No heats, just straight finals, apart from 50m skins events that require sprinters to stand up and race time and again in knockout format, on day 2.

We guessed at lights, music, team boxes on the deck, team chants – and we saw some fledgling team moves, such as Cali Condors’ wing flaps after victories – deckside interviews and lots of world-class clashes. At first glance through a TV screen, the tactics, the strategies, the roles of coaches and managers in two 10-minutes breaks built into the session so that reserves can be brought on to cope with prevailing conditions and strengths of rival teams, did not come across as a strong feature, more a learning curve and work in progress, for all concerned.

Athletes and their teams will get a 50:50 share of all revenues, every point earned by a swimmer will earn $300.00 this day. The emphasis will not be on the clock but the racing: points make money, raise profiles at the heart of what every great relay swimmer has known for as long as there have been relays: one for all, all for one.

Ben Proud – no heats, semis and finals but skins, one spirit after another at the ISL, each swim a race for team (and pay day) – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

Lights, cameras – and come the action: the whole series, ISL officials say, will be very production-based, like a well-honed TV show. The bright and colourful lights are backed by giant digital screens around the venue sporting the logos of the league and the teams. The backdrop to the blocks is a digital screen in the shape of an iceberg with some cool digital pictures that will roll as the action unfolds. In front of that is a live DJ, busy warning up the atmosphere with music and lighting as the crowd files in steadily.

An hour from go and a couple of hundred keen fans were already in their seats banners and cheers for their favourite stars at the ready, reporters our man in Indy, Dan D’Addona. A crowd for the warm-up; a moment for fans to spot the big names crowding the lanes.

It’s been a casual Saturday in Indy, by all accounts, swimmers enjoying some some laid back fun with each other. There’s a camaraderie in the warm-up, says Dan, chatting and hugging between teammates and opponents. The “on-deck atmosphere is that of a college meet with geographical and team alliances combining into a competitive meet,” is how Dan put it.

A considered view of how it all went to follow…