Frog Kings & Titans to Make ISL Debuts This Weekend: Five Races to Watch From Budapest

Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

Tokyo Frog Kings & Toronto Titans to Make ISL Debuts This Weekend: Five Races to Watch From Budapest

The first weekend of the International Swimming League season this past weekend was a welcomed sign for swimming fans who had been starving for real competition since the COVID-19 pandemic caused worldwide shutdowns in March. The Cali Condors took full advantage of the new jackpot rule by using their top end speed to steal points from the opposition and down Energy Standard, last year’s champs, deemed by this author “unbeatable.”

In the second match, the London Roar, although badly decimated by the withdrawal of the Australian swimmers due to ongoing fears of the pandemic down under, eased to their first win of the season over European rivals Aqua Centurions and Team Iron.

There are two new teams added to the mix this season: the Japan-based Frog Kings of Tokyo, and the Canada-based Titans of Toronto. Japan’s team in particular, led by the “frog king” himself, general manager Kosuke Kitajima, is particularly intriguing ahead of this weekend as many of its swimmers will be making their debut in the new league.

October 24 – 25: Aqua Centurions, Tokyo Frog Kings, LA Current, Toronto Titans

October 24 — 6 a.m. (New York); 12 p.m. (Budapest); 7 p.m. (Tokyo)
October 25 — 11 a.m. (New York); 5 p.m. (Budapest); 12 a.m. (Tokyo)

Last season, only two Asian swimmers competed in the league: Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey and Japan’s Daiya Seto, while this year all but seven of the Frog King members hail from Japan. Seto, the world record holder in the 400 IM and a key piece to Energy Standard’s championship team last year, will not be competing in Budapest as he is serving a suspension handed down by the Japanese Swimming Federation for an extramarital affair that became public.

The Frog Kings will make their debut alongside the Titans, who also pose as a serious challenger to make the final four led by World champion Kylie Masse and Worlds finalist Blake Pieroni, as well the Italian-based Aqua Centurions and the US-based LA Current.

Here are some events and matchups to keep an eye on:

Men’s 200 Back

Tokyo’s Ryosuke Irie. Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

Tokyo’s Ryosuke Irie will get his hand at long-time rival Ryan Murphy of the LA Current, as Murphy’s 1:48.7 put him second in the ISL power rankings thus far this season. What kind of speed can Irie throw down in short course meters? He is generally known to be a better long course swimmer and may not be able to hang with Murphy on the turns, but it will be interesting to see how he races.

Tokyo will also bring Canadian Markus Thormeyer to the table, who can swim any number of backstroke and freestyle events and be competitive, as he was a Worlds finalist in the 200 back in 2019. Toronto’s Finlay Knox should also be a key piece for the Titans as the rising junior is a strong IM’er and can branch out into a number of events.

Men’s 50 Free

Tokyo’s Bruno Fratus. Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

This may be one of the most intriguing matchups of the meet. Comeback king Brent Hayden, who won Olympic bronze all the way back in 2012 in the 100 free, will make his ISL debut at 37-years-old, just three days after his birthday for Toronto. The start lists aren’t out yet, but we can predict Hayden will be alongside Toronto teammate Michael Chadwick, who has been a factor on the world scene the last few years. But that duo will have their hands full with Tokyo’s Bruno Fratus and Shinri Shioura, who seemingly get better with age as both men made the 50 free final at the 2019 Worlds, with Fratus winning silver and Shioura finishing eighth. Tokyo also has the option of Brad Tandy, the 2014 NCAA champ in this event and one of the best starters in the world, and Vlad Morozov, who has been one of the top sprinters in the world the last seven years.

The 50 will be over and done in the blink of an eye. Mix in Aqua’s Szebasztian Szabo and LA’s Kristian Gkolomeev, who tied with Fratus for the Worlds silver medal, and this may be the most stacked event of the meet.

Men’s 200 IM

Aqua’s Philip Heintz. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

This weekend will also be the ISL debut of Olympic silver medalist in the 200 IM, Kosuke Hagino of Tokyo. Hagino has already been a 1:52.73 in the 200 IM, racing at a final tune-up meet in Japan last week. That time was quicker than Philip Heintz of the Aqua Centurions, who was a 1:52.78 last week for the fastest time of the ISL season thus far. Hagino has the pedigree with three individual Olympic medals to his name already and all eyes will be on him after Daiya Seto will not be in Budapest with the team.

Add in LA’s duo of Andrew Seliskar and Tomoe Hvas, who sit second and fifth in the power rankings thus far, as well as World junior silver medalist Finlay Knox of Toronto, and this will be a can’t miss race.

Women’s 400 Free

Tokyo’s Leah Smith. Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

Leah Smith of Tokyo will be a key piece for the Frog Kings if they can get to the final four. Smith’s best event is arguably the 400 freestyle and certainly has the speed to shoot to the top of the ISL rankings in that event, which is currently held by Cali’s Melanie Margalis (3:58.43). This weekend, she will match up alongside Aqua’s Valentine Dumont, who had an impressive race this weekend with a 4:00.37 to sit third. She negative split her race, and could creep up on Smith if she tires early.

Tokyo’s Miyu Namba, who was a 4:00 last week, should also play a factor in the scoring as well. Add in Toronto’s Anna Egorova, who made the Worlds final in 2019 in this event, and this is an intriguing race.

Women’s 400 IM

Tokyo’s Yui Ohashi. Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

Tokyo’s Yui Ohashi swam a 4:24 in the 400 IM last week, which was quicker than the leading times in the ISL from last week (Melanie Margalis, 4:25.48). The bronze medalist at the 2019 Worlds, as well as the world leader in 2018, looks like an early favorite to lead the world rankings in this event. Toronto’s duo of Emily Overholt, who made the Worlds final last year, and Tess Cieplucha, who was a favorite to win the NCAA title last season before the meet was cancelled, pose a serious 1-2 punch ahead of this season in this event.

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