The Week That Was: Three World Records Fall in ISL Semi Finals As Normalcy Creeps Back Into Swimming

Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL

The Week That Was is sponsored by

The Week That Was sponsored by Suitmate.

There was plenty of fast swimming over the weekend as it almost felt like a normal week in the sport with swim meets happening all over the world. Three world records fell in Hungary at the International Swimming League semi-finals and all-time lists were altered down in Australia.

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

The Week That Was #1: Toussaint, Peaty, Dressel Break World Records at ISL Semi Finals

Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL

By John Lohn & Matthew De George

Heading into the semifinals of the International Swimming League season, one of the world records on alert was the women’s 50-meter backstroke. Indeed, that global standard went down on Saturday at the Duna Arena in Budapest, as the London Roar’s Kira Toussaint covered her two laps in 25.60 to better the 2014 mark of Etiene Medeiros. The Brazilian held the mark for nearly six years at 25.67.

Toussaint has enjoyed a strong season for the Roar, routinely flourishing in the 50 backstroke and 100 backstroke, and on the front of London’s medley relay. Now, the Dutchwoman is a world-record holder. Toussaint blasted to the front of the field and came off the turn with a sizable lead that suggested she would chase the world record. Dolphin-kicking on her side entering the second lap, Toussaint powered to the surface and stayed strong to the wall.

There is no doubt that Adam Peaty is the greatest 100 breaststroker in history, and with a short-course world record added to his ledger on Sunday afternoon, the British star only enhanced his legacy in the event.

Racing for the London Roar in the semifinals of the International Swimming League, Peaty took down South African Cameron van der Burgh’s 11-year-old world record in the 100 breaststroke, a clocking of 55.49 getting the job done. Van der Burgh set the former global standard of 55.61 at a 2009 World Cup stop in Berlin on this exact day, November 15, 11 years ago.

The reigning Olympic champion and charge of Mel Marshall, Peaty went out in 26.04 and came home in 29.45 to clip .12 off the previous record. Peaty was pushed the entire way by Belarus’ Ilya Shymanovich, who was a hundredth back of Peaty at the midway point and touched in 55.69, the third-fastest performance in history.

Caeleb Dressel obliterated the world record in the 100 IM at Monday’s ISL Semifinal 2, going 49.88 in the 100 individual medley.

The world record had been Vlad Morozov’s 50.26, the Russian with a stranglehold on the top 10 times in history before the ISL season began. Dressel’s American record had been 50.48, set in ISL Match 10, then the seventh-fastest in history. Morozov’s record dates to Sept. 28, 2018, set in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

Tuesday, Dressel just left the pack behind from the get-go. He went out in 22.79, then came back in 27.09.

#2: Oklahoma Baptist Cuts Swimming & Diving

Photo Courtesy: Oklahoma Baptist Athletics

By Matthew De George

Oklahoma Baptist, a multi-time NAIA national champion and now NCAA Division II contender, announced Monday that it intends to cut seven sports at the end of the 2020-21 season.

As listed in the seventh paragraph of an open letter to the community, the school cites budget constraints for the axing of men’s golf, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s lacrosse.

Program reductions were approved by the school’s Board of Trustees last Friday, with the OBU athletics department aiming to reduce its annual budget by approximately $3 million. The program cuts followed a “an exhaustive financial analysis to help departments identify potential cost-saving measures and other operational efficiencies to reduce the overall budget by the necessary amount,” that eventually led to the inevitability of reducing varsity offerings.

The Week That Was #3: Kaylee McKeown Moves to Third All-Time in 200 Back LCM

Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

By Ian Hanson

Rising Aussie backstroke sensation Kaylee McKeown has continued her record breaking spree at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre today, clocking the fourth fastest time in history for 200m backstroke, stopping the clock in 2:04.49 at the Medal Shots Long Course Preparation Meet.

It follows hot on the heals of yesterday’s stunning Australian and Australian All-Comers 100m backstroke record of 58.11 from the 19-year-old from Redcliffe.

Today’s time, a 1.34sec personal best, makes McKeown (USC Spartans) on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, the third fastest swimmer ever over 200m backstroke.

#4: Reece Whitley Moves to Third All-Time in 200 Breast SCY

Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

By Matthew De George

Reece Whitley and Trenton Julian picked up NCAA A cuts Saturday at an unscored meet between California and Stanford at the Speiker Aquatics Complex, among more than 60 B cuts at the meet.

Whitley was quickest in the 200 breaststroke, blasting a time of 1:48.53. It’s way ahead of the A cut of 1:52.61 and quicker than his best time of 1:49.85 from the 2019-20 season. It’s also one of seven Spieker Aquatics Complex records set by the Bears.

Julian went 1:39.93 in the 200 butterfly to win the event. It’s clear of the A cut by eight tenths of a second. Julian was sixth in the nation in 2019-20 with a best time of 1:40.78.

The Week That Was #5: Energy Standard GM Jean-Francois Salessy Resigns

Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL

By Matthew De George

Energy Standard’s Jean-Francois Salessy announced via an open letter to Konstantin Grigorishin that he is stepping down as the ISL team’s general manager.

The letter was sent Sunday afternoon, in which Salessy recounts the founding of the Energy Standard team, based in Paris and named after the company led by Grigorishin. Salessy, who entered the position as the agent of Florent Manaudou, expressed dismay at his efforts on the business side that met with difficulty at the hands of Grigorishin, who is also the International Swimming League’s founder.

It has, in Salessy’s words, limited him to becoming, “a general without power.” He recounts decisions made on personnel, including resistance to integrating French swimmers into a French team, and Salessy’s exclusion from the hotel for general managers at the Budapest bubble.

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