ISL Match 1, Day 2: Energy Standard Wins, Summer McIntosh Moves Toronto to Second
Halfway through the first match of the ISL season, Energy Standard held an early edge, as was to be expected given the program’s pedigree. But how the other three teams in the opener of the third season of the International Swimming League had progressed since last fall – that was a bit of a mystery.
Toronto offered a glimpse Friday on the second day of ISL Match 1, using its depth on the women’s side and some unexpected contributors on the men’s side to not only push into second place solidly but make a run at Energy Standard in the league. With Kasia Wasick and Grigori Pekarski stepping up in skins and Summer McIntosh turning in a tremendous performance in some different events, the Titans picked up second place points in the team category. Third was Aqua Centurions in a greatly improved performance from the 2020 season.
The final team scores from ISL Match 1:
- Energy Standard 511.5
- Toronto Titans 496.5
- Aqua Centurions 442.5
- DC Trident 311.5
Events updates are below:
- 5 Storylines for the 2021 ISL Season: Quick Return to Racing for Olympic Stars
- ISL 2021 Preview: Full Rosters For Season Three
- LiveStream (Subscription only)
- ISL Match 1: Energy Standard Leads Three-Horse Race After Day 1
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Women’s 100 freestyle
Fresh off her sensational Olympics, Siobhan Haughey mounted a charge at her ISL record in the women’s 100 free. She settled for the win for Energy Standard and a 12-point jackpot in 51.22. Second was Sarah Sjostrom in what may prove to be the definitive event for Energy Standard, going 1-2 in 51.55 and netting 19 points. Anna Hopkin was third for D.C. Trident.
Men’s 100 freestyle
Another 1-2 on the men’s side, this time from the Italian center of Aqua Centurion. Alessandro Miressi held off the field late to get the win in 46.30 seconds. Second was his charging Italian teammate Thomas Ceccon in 46.43, the AC duo on top of a field where the top six were separated by eighth tenths. Kliment Kolesnikov was third for Energy Standard.
Women’s 200 butterfly
Welcome to pro swimming Summer McIntosh in the … 200 fly? That’s right, just a little wire-to-wire, 2:06.61 from McIntosh, who turned 15 this month. Second as DC’s Zsuzsanna Jakabos ahead of Energy Standard’s Helena Rosendahl Bach in a race with four swimmers under 2:08.
Men’s 200 butterfly
In vintage Chad le Clos fashion, the South African veteran hung back and was fourth after 150 meters but charged in the final 50 to get the win in 1:51.70. It spoiled the quick start by DC’s Zach Harting, who finished second in 1:51.92. Leonardo de Deus got Aqua Centurion points in third place at 1:52.37.
Women’s 100 backstroke
Big points again for Toronto, with Kylie Masse getting to the wall first in 56.52 to get the win and 10 big points, compounded by the six points gleaned by third-place Lisa Bratton. Only a solid swim by Ali DeLoof for D.C., going 57.08, spoiled a Titans sweep.
Men’s 100 backstroke
That sound you hear is Evgeny Rylov hitting the jackpot. The Russian blitzed the field in 49.48 seconds, getting the win for Energy Standard and a grand total of 19 points for his team. Shane Ryan was second for Toronto in 50.42 seconds, with DC’s Jacob Pebley clinging to his points in third.
Women’s 100 individual medley
Three events, three Toronto Titans women’s wins. Louise Hansson kept the streak going with a time of 58.82 seconds in the 100 IM. She only bested teammate Kayla Sanchez by .07, as Toronto picked up 17 points, and got ahead of Energy Standard’s Anastasiya Shkurdai by .10.
Men’s 100 individual medley
For all the struggles last year of the Aqua Centurions, the men’s team held its own and is back again better than ever. For more evidence, see the 51.95 thrown down by Thomas Ceccon to win the IM and garner 15 points via the jackpot. Andreas Vazaios nearly kept up but was .02 behind for D.C. Trident in settling for second, with Toronto’s Finlay Knox third.
Women’s 100 breaststroke
After two women’s wins last season, the Aqua Centurion women have two wins in ISL Match 1. Martina Carraro picked up the victory in the 100 breast with a time of 1:04.85. Teammate Arianna Castiglioni was third in 1:05.01, just .01 behind Evgenia Chikunova of Energy Standard.
Men’s 100 breaststroke
More Italians winning, more Aqua Centurions winning. Nicolo Martinenghi doubled up on breaststroke wins by clocking in at 56.96 to win the men’s race. Teammate Arno Kamminga was third, three tenths back. Toronto got a big boost from Fabian Schwingenschlogl, who went 57.10 to finish second. The top six finishers were separated by .84 seconds. The swim surges Aqua Centurions up six points in the team race over Toronto.
Women’s 50 butterfly
It’s all about the jackpot for Sarah Sjostrom. She won the 50 fly in 24.98 seconds, itself a tremendous time within four tenths of the league record and six tenths of the world mark. But she also was more than a second faster than half the field, giving her a haul of 19 bonus points. And, to double the good news for Energy Standard, Maddy Banic kept her points in second, affording ES a 26-point haul. Louise Hansson in third and Holly Barratt in fourth got to keep their points for Toronto and Aqua Centurions, respectively.
Men’s 50 butterfly
Toronto got a huge result from a maybe unlikely source, with Marius Kusch and Grigori Pekarski finishing first and third. That gives them 18 points to bring back to the Titans. In between was one of the dominators of the 50 fly last year, Aqua Centurions Szebasztian Szabo, and Chad le Clos in fourth.
Women’s 200 freestyle
More points for Siobhan Haughey, who got to the wall first in 1:52.88 to easily best the field and grab 10 points for Energy Standard, as it circles the victory. Aqua Centurions Federica Pellegrini turned in a great swim to finish second, and Leah Neale grabbed points for D.C. Trident in third.
Men’s 200 freestyle
Blake Pierioni came up huge for the Toronto Titans at a vital juncture. Sixth after 150 meters, Pieroni surged over the final 50, turning in a split of 25.56 seconds to get the win in 1:44.39. With Luc Kroon fourth, the Titans got a nice haul of points in a race where nine-tenths separate the first seven finisher. Aqua Centurions limited the damage with Stefano Ballo second in 1:44.69, with Zane Grothe getting third-place points for D.C. Trident.
Mixed Medley relay
In the battle of Toronto and Aqua Centurions, Michelle Coleman had the final world, overtaking Federica Pellegrini on the final leg to get the Titans to the wall first, with the team of Shane Ryan, Fabian Schwingenschlogl, Louise Hansson and Coleman in 3:35.89. Aqua Centurions (Thomas Ceccon, Nicolo Martinenghi, Elena Di Liddo, Pellegrini) were second in 3:36.45 with DC Trident third. Energy Standard split the squads to take fourth and fifth. Toronto gained 22 points (first, seventh), with Aqua Centurions getting 20 (second, sixth).
Women’s 400 individual medley
On the list of things I did on my summer vacation, Summer McIntosh can add “willed the Toronto Titans to second place in an ISL Match” to the list. McIntosh won the 400 IM in a time of 4:30.05 and grabbed the biggest jackpot of the day with 21 points to put the Titans into second place. Coupled with six points from Tessa Cieplucha in third, the Titans picked up a 23-point margin over Aqua Centurions. Second was another Canadian, Bailey Andison, for D.C. Trident.
Men’s 400 individual medley
The battle for second place was pitched, with Aqua Centurions going 1-3 but Toronto checking them in second and fourth. Ilia Borodin got the win in 4:02.67, but thanks to the intermediate points, Alberto Razzetti of Toronto matched him with 13 points in second. Chase Kalisz was third with Max Litchfield fourth, meaning Aqua was only plus-2 on the event.
As we enter skins, that leaves the scores at:
- Energy Standard 436.5
- Toronto Titans 436
- Auqa Centurions 416
- DC Trident 303.5
Women’s Skins
Things did not go the way that Aqua Centurions planned when they opted for the 50 free in the skins race. Neither of the Aqua Centurions racers advanced from the first round, Mariia Kameneva coming closest in fifth. That left two Energy Standard swimmers – Siobhan Haughey in second, and Sarah Sjostrom by just .05 in fourth – advancing along with round 1 winner Kasia Wasick (23.64) for Toronto and Anna Hopkin of DC in third.
Sjostrom rallied to win the second round in 24.09, advancing to the final with Wasick. Sjostrom took control in the finale, going 24.79 to push way ahead of Wasick. That’s 33 points for Sjostrom and 46 for Energy Standard. More pressing for the race for second was Toronto’s yield, with 26 points, as compared to just five for Aqua Centurion.
Men’s Skins
With the choice of skins, Energy Standard opted for the 50 fly. You can just about replace Sjostrom’s name with Chad le Clos.
Le Clos eked out of the first round by .03 seconds in fourth, edging Aqua Centurions Thomas Ceccon. But le Clos got stronger, finishing second in the second round, then winning the final with a time of 23.82, garnering a grand total of 26 points for Energy Standard.
Toronto pushed two swimmers through the first round via Marius Kusch and Grigori Pekarski. Pekarksi went 23.01 to set the pace in round 2, and he gave le Clos a run in the final at 23.88, losing by just .06. That netted the Titans 34.5 points from the Skins. Szebasztian Szabo won the first round in 22.32 to get bonus points, but didn’t advance past the second round.
That leaves the final team scores of ISL Match 1:
- Energy Standard 511.5
- Toronto Titans 496.5
- Aqua Centurions 442.5
- DC Trident 311.5
