ISL Grand Final, Day 1, Session 2: Cali Condors Out Front

Caeleb Dressel; Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL

ISL Grand Final, Day 1, Session 2: Cali Condors Out Front

Behind a world record from Caeleb Dressel and the usual depth of scoring on the women’s side to complement a wins by Lilly King and Beata Nelson, the Cali Condors are out front early in their quest to stay unbeaten and claim the ISL Grand Final.

The Condors figured to be strong in the first of three sessions Saturday. But Energy Standard has a strong middle of the race ahead to apply pressure on the ‘Dors.

<< Session 1 recap | Session 3 recap >>

How they got here

ISL Semifinal 1: Day 1 results, Day 1 notes, Day 2 results, Day 2 notes
ISL Semifinal 2: Day 1 results, Day 1 notes, Day 2 results, Day 2 notes
Where to watch the ISL Grand Final
DAY ONE RESULTS

ISL Grand Final Team Scores (after Day 1)

Cali Condors 267
Energy Standard 239.5
London Roar 199.5
LA Current 177

ISL Grand Final MVP Standings (through Day 1)

Caeleb Dressel, Cali 40.5
Lilly King, Cali 38.5
Sarah Sjostrom, Energy Standard 26
Ryan Murphy, LA 25.5
Evgeny Rylov, Energy Standard 22
Ilya Shymanovich, Energy Standard 21.5
Beryl Gastaldello, LA 16.5
Olivia Smoliga, Cali 20
Beata Nelson, Cali 18.5
Sydney Pickrem, London 18

Men’s 50 Free

It’s a testament to Caeleb Dressel’s excellence that he can set a world record and look not all that enthused about it. That was the case for world record No. 3 of the season, a time of 20.16 in the 50 free. It undercuts Dressel’s world record of 20.24 from last year’s ISL Grand Final.

Second was Florent Manaudou in 20.60. Kristian Gkolomeev got Current big points in third.

Dressel earned 19 points via the jackpot to consolidate the Condors’ lead.

Women’s 50 Free

Energy Standard scored a massive 1-2 with Sarah Sjostrom and Femke Heemskerk. In a race with seven finishers clustered within .81 seconds, Sjostrom was first to the wall in 23.55. Heemskerk was second in 23.82. The Current underwhelmed, for their purposes, with third (Abbey Weitzeil) and sixth (Beryl Gastaldello) but still surge to third in the team standings. Cali salvaged fifth via Olivia Smoliga.

Men’s 200 IM

With the bottom two teams earning the top four spots, the race competition tightens up a bit.

Andrew Seliskar delivered a massive swim, winning the event in 1:51.33, the fastest time in ISL this season. With he and Tomoe Hvas fourth, the Current take 15 points from the race. London added 13 points, with Andreas Vazaios second and Duncan Scott third, the top four finishers clustered within .43 seconds.

Women’s 200 IM

Sydney Pickrem used a stellar breaststroke leg, as is her specialty, to turn a controlled race into a mockery. She won by 2.30 seconds, lowering her Canadian record again to 2:04.00 and setting the third-fastest time in history. She added 12 points in the jackpot to augment four taken by London Roar teammate Siobhan-Marie O’Connor in fifth.

Second was Meghan Small with a huge swim for the Condors, going 2:06.30 to take second with teammate Beta Nelson fourth. Third was Energy Standard’s Mary-Sophie Harvey.

Men’s 50 Breast

What looked momentarily like a possible London 1-2 was spoiled by Ilya Shymanovich, who stalked into the wall at 25.48 and earned 12 points for Energy Standard. He edged London’s Adam Peaty by .02 seconds to the wall. Kirill Prigoda slid to fifth after being on the pace early.

Third was Nic Fink of the Cali Condors in 25.87, just .13 off his American record as he rounds into form. Fourth was Felipe Silva for the Current.

Women’s 50 Breast

All Lilly King does … is win races. With the attention on the pace set by Benedetta Pilato and Alia Atkinson, King swooped in and spoiled the party, getting her hand to the wall in 28.77 seconds, lowering her American record and erasing the non-ratified time of 28.80 set by Jessica Hardy in 2009.

King didn’t just edge Pilato by .04 and Atkinson in .11. But in a race where only four swimmers scored, she swipes the jackpot of 19 points, a huge margin to put the Condors further out front. Add in five points for Molly Hannis, who took fourth in 29.06, just off her best time of the season.

Men’s 4×100 Free

Energy Standard’s relay depth is keeping the defending champ in the hunt at the ISL Grand Final. Again, Energy got a relay win, the squad of Evegeny Rylov, Kliment Kolesnikov, Chad le Clos and Florent Manaudou weathered a strong first leg by Caeleb Dressel to get the win in 3:02.78. It’s the fastest time in ISL this season, two seconds faster than what had been the fastest entering the meet.

Second was the Condors, led by Dressel giving the 100 free world record a jolt in the opening leg at 45.18. The rest of the squad – Kacper Majchrzak, Tate Jackson, Justin Ress – rounded out a 3:03.46, with the Current (Maxime Rooney, Kristian Gkolomeev, Dylan Carter, Tom Shields) third in 3:05.20.

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