Aqua Centurions booked their place in the play-offs of the International Swimming League (ISL) as they claimed victory in Match 10 in Naples, Italy.
Aqua will join Cali Condors, Energy Standard, London Roar, Toronto Titans and LA Current in Eindhoven, Netherlands, next month.
Key to the outcome was their ability to close out tight races in contrast to Team Iron whose failure to do so was costly.
Iron will face DC Trident, Tokyo Frog Kings and New York Breakers on Wednesday and Thursday for the wild-card meet from which two teams will progress.
Daiya Seto was the MVP after winning the 200 fly and 400IM while Thom De Boer and Ranomi Kromowidjojo made it an Iron double in the skins.
TEAM STANDINGS
- 563, Aqua Centurions
- 529, Team Iron
- 397, Tokyo Frog Kings
- 272, New York Breakers
MVP STANDINGS
- 50pts; Daiya Seto, Tokyo Frog Kings
- 48.5; Barbora Seemanova, Team Iron
- 48.0; Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Team Iron
- 39.0; Elena di Liddo, Aqua Centurions
- 38.5; Thomas Ceccon, Aqua Centurions
Links
- Live Stream (Subscription only)
- Live Results
- Match 1: Energy Standard Wins, Summer McIntosh Moves Toronto to Second
- Match 2: Coleman Stewart’s World Record Leads Cali Condors Domination
- Match 3: Sarah Sjostrom, Siobhan Haughey Lead Energy Romp
- Match 4: Caeleb Dressel Wins Four Events, Kelsi Dahlia Takes Two as Cali Condors Pull Away
- Match 5: Toronto Titans Claim Victory Behind Depth, Skins Win
- Match 6: Duncan Scott, London Roar Hold Off Caeleb Dressel-less Cali Condors
- Match 7: Skins Strength Sees Cali Condors Surge Past Toronto Titans
- Match 8: Ilya Shymanovich, Sarah Sjostrom, Siobhan Haughey Help Energy Standard Hold Off London Roar
- Match 9: Evgeny Rylov is MVP as Dominant Energy Standard Remain Unbeaten
Women’s 100 Free
- Aqua Centurions 306.5
- Iron 247.5
- Tokyo Frog Kings 206
- New York Breakers 146
Iron started with a one-two in the opening race thanks to Ranomi Kromowidjojo – the only woman inside 52 in 51.99 – and Barbora Seemanova (52.31), making up nine points on Aqua.
Maria Kameneva, of Aqua, was third in 52.43.
Men’s 100 Free
Aqua Centurions responded in kind though as Alessandro Miressi enjoyed a clear win in 46.31 ahead of teammate Thomas Ceccon (46.62) with Stan Pijnenburg third in 46.85 for New York Breakers.
Women’s 200 Fly
Svetlana Chimrova picked up the Breakers’ fourth victory after overhauling long-time leader Alys Thomas on the final 50 to touch in 2:04.65.
Thomas (2:04.65) and Maria Ugolkova (2:07.25) got a two-three for Iron.
Men’s 200 Fly
Daiya Seto fired on the third 50 to move into the lead and surged into the wall to win for a fifth time in 1:51.13.
Aqua’s Leonardo de Deus (1:51.31) and Jakub Majerski (1:53.02) of the New York Breakers were next home.
Women’s 100 Back
Paulina Peda was quickest into the wall to take the win by 0.02 from Iron’s Ingeborg Loyning, 57.40 to 57.42.
Catie Deloof took third for Tokyo in 57.71.
Men’s 100 Back
Robert Glinta enjoyed a jackpot win to pick up 15pts in 49.60 with clear water between him and Aqua’s Matteo Rivolta.
Lorenzo Mora made it an Iron one-three in 50.58.
Women’s 100IM
Alicja Tchorz held off a fast-finishing Costanza Cocconcelli by 0.02, 58.43 to 58.45 as the Breakers won once more.
Men’s 100IM
Marco Orsi won for Iron in 51.51 ahead of Thomas Ceccon (51.84) and Tokyo’s Vladimir Morozov (52.08).
Iron moved to within 40 points of Aqua although the Italians had the breaststroke events – in which they specialised – upcoming.
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
There was a one-two for Aqua with Arianna Castiglioni adding to Saturday’s 50 victory and leading home teammate Martina Carraro 1:04.09 to 1:04.52.
Miranda Tucker took third in 1:05.31 for the Frog Kings.
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
A late surge by Arno Kamminga saw him claim victory in 56.46 ahead of Tokyo’s Yasuhiro Koseki (56.66).
Nicolo Martinenghi – winner of the 50m on Saturday – made it an Aqua one-three in 56.99.
Women’s 50m Fly
Holly Barratt won the event for the third time as she out-touched Ranomi Kromowidjojo 25.28 to 25.30.
Kromowidjojo’s Iron teammate Melanie Henique was third in 25.37.
Men’s 50m Fly
Nicholas Santos was just 0.08 off his own world record as he jackpotted all but two men in 21.83 to score 24 points for Iron.
Szebasztian Szabo (22.41) and Rivolta (22.63) made it an Aqua two-three.
Women’s 200 Free
Barbora Seemanova led from start to finish to take the win in 1:53.31 – eclipsed this season by only Siobhan Haughey – of Energy Standard to add to her 400 victory on Saturday.
Federica Pellegrini has never won this event and, despite a fast finish, she could not make up the deficit, touching in 1:53.82.
Marrit Steenbergen was third for the Breakers in 1:55.31.
Men’s 200 Free
Joe Litchfield timed his finish to perfection to take another win for the Breakers in 1:43.04 as Iron – in the form of Matt Richards – lost out in another tight finish, touching in 1:43.11.
Matteo Ciampi was third for Aqua in 1:43.28.
Mixed 4 x 100 Medley Relay
Seemanova was back in the water again as she swam the anchor leg for the Iron, taking over with a slight advantage.
She went stroke for stroke with Maria Kameneva stealing the touch for Aqua in 3:35.96 as the Centurions won their fourth relay.
Iron again lost out in a close race in 3:36.00 with the other Aqua quartet taking third.
Women’s 400IM
Paige Madden led at halfway to clinch the checkpoint points ahead of her Tokyo teammate and Olympic champion Yui Ohashi.
Abbie Wood came through on the breaststroke and she trailed Ohashi by just 0.27 going into the free.
That was 0.25 with 50 to go but Ohashi extended her lead on the final 25 to win in 4:28.33, jackpotting three women and earning 19 points.
Wood was second for the Breakers in 4:29.63 with Maria Ugolkova third for Iron in 4:36.31.
Men’s 400IM
Seto was in a world of his own as he quickly created a significant lead which he soon extended to more than 3.5secs.
He won in 3:58.65, jackpotting one other swimmer to take home 19pts.
Ilya Borodin (4:00.74) and Chase Kalisz (4:03.99) made it an Aqua two-three.
Women’s 50m Butterfly Skins
Progressed from race 1: Barratt, Kromowidjojo, Henique, Di Liddo
Progressed from race 2: Kromowidjojo, Barratt
Final: Barratt led throughout only for the Netherlands swimmer to inch her way back down the final metres and get the touch by 0.11 as Iron took 42 points.
Men’s 50m Freestyle Skins
Progressed from race 1: Morozov, De Boer, Miressi, Szabo
Progressed from race 2: De Boer, Miressi
Final: De Boer had an electric start and surfaced ahead before bursting out of the turn and enjoying a clear win to take the skins for the second time.
