Evgeniia Chikunova set a world junior record of 2:17.57 in the women’s 200m breaststroke as Energy Standard roared to a decisive lead at the end of day one in Match 9 of the International Swimming League (ISL) in Naples, Italy.
Chikunova, who turns 17 in November, took 0.14secs off her old record of 2:17.71 from December 2019.
Energy teammate Ilya Shymanovich continued his blistering form with victory over 50 and 200m breaststroke as well as a shuddering leg of 55.36 in the men’s medley relay.
The Belarusian heads the MVP standings after day one with 35pts ahead of fellow Energy swimmer Evgeny Rylov (27) and Siobhan Haughey (25.5).
London Roar won the women’s medley relay and picked the backstroke with Energy doing the same in the men’s.
TEAM STANDINGS
300.5 Energy Standard
227.0 London Roar
193.0 DC Trident
185.5 Toronto Titans
Links
- LiveStream (Subscription only)
- Live Results
- ISL Match 7: Without Caeleb Dressel, Cali Condors Face Upstart Toronto Titans in Showdown
- Match 1: Energy Standard Wins, Summer McIntosh Moves Toronto to Second
- Match 2: ISL 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: Roar Hold off Condors
- ISL Match 7
Women’s 100 Butterfly
Emma McKeon, who won seven medals at Tokyo 2020, enjoyed an emphatic win in Match 8 ahead of Energy’s Anastasia Shkurdai.
Louise Hansson came into the meet with three wins over four lengths this season setting up an intriguing tussle in the first race.
Hansson – in the outside lane – led from the outset and despite a late charge from McKeon, she took the win for Titans in 55.67 (25.96/29.71).
McKeon produced the fastest second 50 in 29.40 and was 0.11 adrift in 55.78 with Shkurdai third in 56.50.
Men’s 100 Butterfly
Marius Kusch made it two wins from two races for Titans in the men’s race, going out fast to split 22.98/26.75 and touch first in 49.73.
Chad le Clos was second in 50.03 and Zach Harting next home in 50.56 with two points separating all four teams after the opening races.
Women’s 200 Backstroke
The Titans continued their scorching start with a one-two as Lisa Bratton out-touched Kylie Masse with Energy’s Mary-Sophie Harvey coming past Kira Toussaint of London Roar for third.
The Toronto pair were tied on 29.14 after 50 with Bratton pulling ahead to take the final turn 0.53 ahead of her teammate.
Masse responded and the pair were separated by just 0.03secs at the finish as Bratton touched in 2:02.42 with Harvey clocking 2:03.58.
Men’s 200 Backstroke
Energy claimed their first win of the match through Olympic champion Evgeny Rylov who took over with 50m to go to win in 1:49.93.
Tokyo bronze medallist Luke Greenbank moved from fifth at the 150 for second in 1:50.54.
Jacob Pebley took third in 1:50.56 for DC Trident.
Women’s 200 Breaststroke
Chikunova came into the match with three wins in this event but it was Bailey Andison of DC Trident who led the way ahead of the Russian teenager.
Come the 150 mark and Andison held a lead of 0.01 only for Chikunova to move away with a final 50 of 34.72 propelling her to the world junior mark of 2:17.57.
Splits: 31.98/1:07.42/1:42.85/2:17.57.
Andison clocked 2:19.66 with Annie Lazor coming third for Roar in 2:19.74.
Men’s 200 Breaststroke
Shymanovich swept the breaststroke events last time out but it was Cody Miller who led until the 150.
A final 50 of 31.47 saw the Energy swimmer surge ahead to touch in 2:02.79.
Miller clocked 2:03.77 with DC teammate Tommy Cope third in 2:04.63.
Women’s 4×100 Freestyle
Energy Standard produced three sub-52sec swims in the form of lead-off Siobhan Haughey (51.76), Femke Heemskerk (51.92) and Sarah Sjostrom (51.97).
Fanny Teijonsalo brought them home in 53.23 for a jackpot win in 3:28.88.
Toronto Titans came past London Roar for second in 3:29.81 to 3:29.89.
Men’s 50 Freestyle
Ben Proud led from start to finish to touch in 20.84, the Energy swimmer the only man inside 21secs.
Kyle Chalmers went 21.00 with Ryan Hoffer in third in 21.24, one place ahead of Florent Manaudou.
Women’s 50 Freestyle
Only eight minutes had elapsed since the conclusion of the women’s 4×100 free as Sjostrom – part of the victorious Energy squad – returned to poolside.
The Swede took her 11th win in this event in 23.53 ahead of Kasia Wasick (23.76) and McKeon (23.95).
Men’s 200IM
Andreas Vazaios moved from seventh at 50 to first at the halfway mark, a position he maintained from that point to touch first for DC Trident in 1:52.54.
Finlay Knox was second for Toronto in 1:52.70 with Duncan Scott moving from fourth to take third with a final 50 of 26.92 – the joint fastest with Vazaios – in 1:53.27.
Women’s 200IM
A breaststroke leg of 35.13 propelled Sydney Pickrem from third to first going into the free, a position she maintained for victory in 2:04.59 – the fastest in the ISL this season.
Harvey was second in 2:05.30 with Andison third in 2:05.98.
Men’s 50 Breaststroke
Shymanovich continued his dominance of the breaststroke with victory in 25.56 for a jackpot win.
It was an Energy one-two with Felipe Lima second (26.18) and Felipe Franca Silva third for DC in 26.46.
Women’s 50 Breaststroke
Alia Atkinson led from start to finish to claim a jackpot win for Roar in 29.48, her eighth ISL victory.
Benedetta Pilato (30.13) and Dominika Sztandera (30.31) were net for Energy and Toronto.
Men’s 4×100 Freestyle
London Roar dominated for a jackpot win in 3:06.50 ahead of Toronto (3:08.06) and Energy Standard (3:08.21).
Roar splits:
Kyle Chalmers: 46.19
Dylan Carter: 46.02
Katsumi Nakamura: 46.69
Ed Mildred: 47.60
Women’s 50 Backstroke
Masse came back in the final metres to touch out in lane one in 26.23 with Ali Deloof second for Trident in 26.37.
Toussaint was third in 26.47.
Men’s 50 Backstroke
A demonstration in turnover guided Guilherme Guido to first place in 22.73 with clear daylight between the Roar swimmer and Shane Ryan of Toronto (23.39).
Rylov was next home for Energy Standard in 23.43.
Women’s 400 Freestyle
Energy’s Haughey led for all but the opening 50m – and was ahead at the 100 checkpoint – as she claimed a dominant victory in 4:00.67.
Leah Neale was next home in 4:03.90 with Helena Roesendahl Back ensuring an Energy one-three finish in 4:04.21.
Men’s 400 Freestyle
Luc Kroon took over from Scott at 250, extending his lead to take his first title in a PB of 3:40.74 for Toronto.
Scott was second in 3:42.72, leading home his Roar teammate Zac Incerti (3:42.72).
Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay
Freya Anderson held off Sjostrom for a jackpot victory for London Roar and with their second quartet coming sixth, it ensured they would have the pick of the stroke for the skins.
Toussaint was fifth after the lead-off (57.45), handing over to Atkinson whose leg of 1:04.03 was the fastest in the field and guided Roar into pole.
McKeon handed over in first after a fly leg of 55.32 – although Toronto’s Hansson went 55.30 – with Anderson holding a 1.13sec lead over Sjostrom who dived in third.
The Swede came roaring back but Anderson held on with a leg of 51.78 as Roar claimed the win and the pick of the skins in 3:48.58.
Sjostrom went 51.03 to guide Energy to second in 3:48.96 with Titans clocking 3:49.34.
Men’s 4×100 Medley Relay
Energy Standard won the men’s race – thanks to a breaststroke leg of 55.36 from Shymanovich who has been on scorching form.
Rylov was second to Guido of Roar before handing over to the Belarusian whose time was 1.64secs quicker than any other man in the field.
It ensured Energy went into the fly 2.09secs ahead of Roar on the fly although Chalmers went 49.81 to le Clos’ 50.14.
Come the final leg and Dylan Carter went 46.05 to Manaudou’s time of 47.26.
It wasn’t sufficient to reel Energy in though and they won in 3:22.38 with Roar finishing in 3:22.93 ahead of DC Trident 3:23.39.
