ISL (Day 2 – Live Results)
The debut stop of the International Swim League rolled through Indianapolis on Sunday for Day 2 of action featuring international squads Energy Standard and the Aqua Centurions, and American-based clubs Cali Condors and D.C. Trident. During the opening session of the ISL, Swimming World provided coverage of the initial atmosphere of the meet and took a look at the style that was evident. Also presented were the results of the action, along with a photo gallery.
Here is what unfolded during the second day of competition.
Energy Standard Wins Inaugural ISL meet.
Although the Cali Condors lurked at times, Energy Standard was too much for its foes and rolled to the team triumph behind the likes of Sarah Sjostrom, Chad Le Clos and Florent Manaudou. Energy Standard posted a two-day score of 539 points to place well ahead of the Condors, who totaled 457 points. Third place went to the D.C. Trident with 330.5 points, and the Aqua Centurions rounding out the field with 300.5 points.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Sjostrom was the MVP of the weekend, clinching that honor with a three-round sweep of the 50 freestyle skins. Prior to locking up the win for Energy Standard, Sjostrom earned victories in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 50 butterfly and 100 butterfly.
“The skins was a big challenge,” Sjostrom said. “It takes it out of you, but it was very exciting.” Asked about her MVP status, she said: “It’s the first time we’ve had the MVP. It’s interesting. We’re still learning about tactics and how to go about that. It’s new and very exciting.”
The highlight performance of the Sunday action was Katie Ledecky’s effort in the 400 freestyle, where she made a run at the world record of Ariarne Titmus. Ledecky stopped the clock in 3:54.06, to finish a little more than a tenth behind the global standard of Titmus, which sits at 3:53.92. It broke the American record set by Katie Hoff in 2010 (3:57.07) — Hoff’s last American record standing. Ledecky bettered Titmus in Indy, which was their first meeting since the World Championships in Gwangju and where Titmus beat the American for gold in the 400 free.
Final Scores
Energy Standard – 539
Cali Condors – 457
D.C. Trident – 330.5
Aqua Centurions – 300.5
Complete Results and Individual Scorers
Women’s Individual Scoring
Sarah Sjostrom – 55.5 points
Olivia Smoliga – 44 points
Lilly King – 31.5 points
Men’s Individual Scoring
Chad Le Clos – 43 points
Florent Manaudou – 41 points
Mitch Larkin – 30.5 points
Men’s 50 Freestyle (Skins)
As was the case with the women’s event, Energy Standard dropped the hammer on the competition in the skins version of the 50 free, as Florent Manaudou and Ben Proud advanced to the final. In the final race, Manaudou placed ahead of Proud in what was basically a swimdown. Knocked out of the semifinal round were Santo Condorelli of the Aqua Centurions and Robert Howard of the D.C. Trident.
Women’s 50 Freestyle (Skins)
With only three minutes between rounds, a frantic and grueling setting is the rule for the skins races, and Energy Standard delivered in that format with Sarah Sjostrom and Femke Heemskerk advancing to the final for Energy Standard, which pretty much clinched the victory with the showing. Sjostrom won all three of the rounds, going 25.11 in the last to top Heemskerk. The Cali Condors advanced Olivia Smoliga and Kasia Wasick to the semifinals before they were ousted by the Energy Standard duo.
Men’s 200 Butterfly
Although he slipped into second place late in the race, Chad Le Clos rallied at the wall and gave Energy Standard a key triumph, as he placed ahead of the Trident’s Andreas Vazaios. Mark Szaranek came through in third place for the Cali Condors. Le Clos came through with a winning mark of 1:52.66.
Women’s 200 Butterfly
Keeping the Cali Condors within striking distance of Energy Standard, Hali Flickinger and Kelsi Dahlia contributed 16 points with a one-two effort. Flickinger (2:05.42) and Dahlia needed to come out on top and delivered in the pressure situation. The Aqua Centurions benefited from a third-place showing from Franziska Hentke.
At the second break of Day 2, the team scores:
Mixed 400 Freestyle Relay
Energy Standard has placed a major emphasis on the relay events at this initial stop of the ISL, and the squad has been rewarded for that approach, with wins in four of the five relays. Energy Standard was first and third in the mixed free relay, split by only the Aqua Centurions. Energy Standard prevailed in 3:18.45, thanks to the combined efforts of Evgeny Rylov, Simonas Bilis, Kayla Sanchez and Penny Oleksiak.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
Although she has more than proven herself in the Olympic pool, Olivia Smoliga proved her dominance in the little pool by pacing a gold-silver finish for the Cali Condors in the 100 back, Smoliga going 56.38. Kylie Masse, a world champion, fought down the stretch to edge the D.C. Trident’s Emily Seebohm, another world titlist, for the second spot.
Men’s 100 Backstroke
The ebbs and flows of team momentum will be a hallmark of the ISL, and Energy Standard proved that scenario to be true as it received a win from Kliment Kolesnokov in the 100 backstroke, the Russian going 50.16 for the win. Simone Sabbioni was second for the Aqua Centurions, with third place shared by Mitch Larkin of the Condors and Tristan Hollard of the Trident.
Women’s 50 Butterfly
Make it four victories for Swedish superstar and Energy Standard go-to girl Sarah Sjostrom, who earlier won the sprint freestyles and the 100 butterfly. The world-record holder, and leader for the MVP award of the weekend, clocked in at 25.16 to beat the D.C. Trident’s Brianna Throssel and the Cal Condors’ Kelsi Dahlia.
Men’s 50 Butterfly
Energy Standard answered back to the Condors as Florent Manaudou and Chad Le Clos blazed through their two laps of butterfly, Manadou securing the top spot in 22.66, followed by Le Clos. Italian Matteo Rivolta completed the top three for the Aqua Centurions.
Women’s 200 Individual Medley
Melanie Margalis and Kelsey Wong rode the wave built by the Cali Condors through the second day of the meet, as they bested the field in the 200 medley. Margalis posted the top time of 2:04.18, with Wong right behind. Energy Standard received a needed third-place finish from Kayla Sanchez.
Margalis took down her own American record, which had stood at 2:04.62 since the World s/c Championships in December last year. The U.S. Open record has been held at 2:03.66 by Olympic champion Katinka Hosszú (HUN), since the Duel in the pool back in 2015.
Men’s 200 Individual Medley
Continuing to make the 200 IM a staple of his program, Aussie Mitch Larkin gave the Cali Condors another lift, as he fended off Andreas Vazaios of the D.C. Trident for the all-important two-point differential. Larkin touched in 1:52.93. Germany’s Philip Heintz, representing the Aqua Centurions, completed the top three.
At the first break of Day 2, the team scores:
Energy Standard – 331
Cali Condors – 319.5
DC Trident – 235.5
Aqua Centurions – 216.5
Women’s 400 Medley Relay
The Cali Condors secured significant points as they managed a first-second showing, with the squad of Olivia Smoliga, Lilly King, Kelsi Dahlia and Mallory Comerford coming through as the top-placing squad. Smoliga jumpstarted the Condors, who basically had a U.S. National Team relay, with a 56.83 on the backstroke leg and there was no looking back. The one-two finish gave the Condors 32 points, the top squad going 3:49.06.
Men’s 400 Freestyle
A Zane Grothe victory cemented the D.C. Trident’s strength in the distance freestyle as he followed up Katie Ledecky’s win in the 400 free with a win of his own in the event. Grothe covered the 16 laps in 3:41.64, and was followed to the finish by Mykhailo Romanchuk of Energy Standard and Anton Ipsen of the Condors.
Women’s 400 Freestyle
In their first meeting since the World Championships, Katie Ledecky got the best of Ariarne Titmus in the 400 freestyle. The American put together – perhaps – the best individual performance in the early days of the ISL, as she went a national mark of 3:54.06 to just miss the world record in the event, which sits at 3:53.92 to Titmus. Hali Flickinger of the Cali Condors took third.
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
The Energy Standard momentum continued on as Ilya Shymanovich and Anton Chupkov hit the wall in first and third the leading squad. Nicolo Martineghi broke up the Energy Standard swimmers in second place for the Aqua Centurions. Shymanovich’s winning time was 56.71.
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
The Cali Condors relied on the breaststroke strength for a one-two finish by the tandem of Lilly King and Molly Hannis, king taking the victory in 1:04.43. Bethany Galat took third for the D.C. Trident, marking three Americans for the event’s podium.
Men’s 100 Freestyle
A strong finish powered Chad Le Clos to a first-place finish, and with Simonas Bilis placing second, Energy Standard piled up a quick 16 points. Le Clos prevailed in 46.96, with the third position occupied by Brazil’s Breno Correia of the Aqua Centurions.
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Complementing opening-day wins in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly, Sarah Sjostrom got Energy Standard’s day off to a quick start with a triumph, as she led from the start and touched in 51.76. Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey (D.C. Trident) was second, with American Olivia Smoliga finishing third for the Cali Condors.
