The Week That Was: ISL Returns; NCAA Meets Open Up Season

Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL

The Week That Was is sponsored by

The Week That Was sponsored by Suitmate.

Racing is back nearly in full force as some of the best swimmers in the ISL and in the NCAA returned to real racing this weekend in Europe and the United States. The ISL opened its season from the Budapest bubble on Friday as the Cali Condors took the first match of the season while the London Roar took the second.

The Texas Longhorns also opened up their season with some very impressive times in a win over Texas A&M and SMU.

Read below the five biggest stories in The Week That Was sponsored by Suitmate.

The Week That Was #1: The ISL Opens Season – Condors, Roar Take Opening Wins

Lilly King Cali Condors ISL (photo: Mike Lewis)

Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis/ISLnt

By Andy Ross & Dan D’Addona

The first match of the 2020 International Swimming League concluded on Saturday from the Budapest bubble as the Cali Condors handed Energy Standard their first loss led by Caeleb Dressel three wins on the day and Lilly King’s skins sweep in breaststroke. King remains unbeaten in the ISL over the three breaststroke distances as she scored the most points on the match.

The London Roar surged to a convincing lead at the end of the first day of their opening match in the International Swimming League (ISL) in Budapest on Sunday.

The Roar come into Day 2 with 294 points, ahead of the Aqua Centurions (197), Team Iron (194) and DC Trident (181).

#2: Carson Foster Moves to Second All-Time in 400 IM SCY

Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

By John Lohn

When Carson Foster announced he would attend the University of Texas, the elite recruit was pegged for high-level success with the Longhorns. Well, his first showstopping performance as a collegiate athlete arrived on Friday night, when the freshman posted the third-fastest time in history in the 400-yard individual medley at the Texas First Chance Invitational.

Registering a time of 3:35.27, Foster prevailed by nearly three seconds over Texas A&M star Shaine Casas. The time has been bettered by only Chase Kalisz, who owns the American record of 3:33.42 and has the No. 2 time at 3:34.50. Foster’s effort easily handed him the National Age Group record in the 17-18 category, as Andrew Seliskar previously owned the standard at 3:37.52.

En route to his NAG standard in the 400 I.M., Foster covered the opening fly leg in 49.04, then followed with a split of 53.93 for the backstroke. Foster delivered a 1:00.92 split on the breaststroke leg and came home with a freestyle split of 51.38.

The Week That Was #3: Daiya Seto Suspended From Japanese National Team Activities Until End of Year

Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

By Dan D’Addona

Japanese World Champion Daiya Seto has been suspended by the Japan Swimming Federation from any official Japanese national team activities as punishment for his extramarital affair that came recently to light, Kyodo News reports.

According to the report, the Japanese Swimming Federation ruled that Seto had failed to live up to the federation’s standards for sportsmalike conduct.

But Seto was only suspended through the end of the year. He is still eligible for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

He resigned as captain of Japan’s Olympic swim team last month after admitting to the affair.

“I’m very sorry,” Seto said, according to a federation executive that spoke with the Japan Times. “I want to do my best to restore peoples’ trust, so I ask for your continuing support in this effort.”

#4: Kristof Milak, Federica Pellegrini Test Positive For COVID & Will Sit Out First Weekend of ISL

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

By Liz Byrnes

World 200m freestyle champion Federica Pellegrini has tested positive for Covid-19 with the International Swimming League set to start on Friday in Budapest.

The 2008 Olympic gold medallist made the tearful announcement on her Instagram story, saying that she left a training session in Italy on Wednesday in pain and with a developing a sore throat.

A test subsequently showed she had the coronavirus which means she will not travel to the Hungarian capital on Monday to join up with the Aqua Centurions.

World 200m fly champion Kristof Milak will miss at least the start of the International Swimming League season after testing positive for Covid-19.

The Hungarian was due to take his place among Team Iron at the competition which starts in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday 16 October and will conclude with the grand final on 21-22 November, it was announced on Wednesday.

Milak however will not be present when Iron launch their competition on Sunday against London Roar, DC Trident and Aqua Centurions.

His coach Attila Selmeci told InfoRadio that Milak had been “feverish and weakened” and was so fatigued he did not leave his apartment for 10 days.The 20-year-old, who crushed Michael Phelps’ 200 fly world record en-route to gold at the World Championships in Gwangju in July 2019, was diagnosed with coronavirus at the end of September, according to Hungarian media.

Milak may join Iron in the latter stages of the competition but it is also possible he will miss the entire competition.

The Week That Was #5: Division III NCAC to Cancel Winter Sports Championships

Photo Courtesy: Linda Striggo

By Andy Ross

The North Coast Athletic Conference, home of Division III swimming powers Kenyon & Denison, has announced it has cancelled conference championships for winter sports, as well as conference play. Institutions may make individual decisions regarding outside competition during the winter season, according to a release sent out by the conference. Many students will not be returning to their schools for the spring semester until late January or early February.

The nine institutions in the NCAC will not return student-athletes to campus for practices or other athletically related activity between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

ONE IN THOUSAND

Show how special you are and become a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s “One In A Thousand” Club. Help keep the International Swimming Hall of Fame moving forward toward a new vision and museum by joining now!

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use