Energy Standard led the way at the end of the first day in the penultimate match of the International Swimming League before the semi-finals.
There were some great tussles made all the more intriguing by the absence of the likes of Florent Manaudou and Vlad Morozov, in all likelihood resting with Energy Standard and Tokyo Frog Kings already into the semis.
Monday again underlined how some extraordinary performers – who have already written their names in the history books with Olympic success – sit cheek by jowl with up-and-coming swimmers, those for whom the ISL has allowed them to extend their careers into Tokyo next year and given fresh impetus to others.
ISL Match Nine Team Scores:
- Energy Standard, 300.5
- Tokyo Frog Kings, 235
- Team Iron, 183.5
- Toronto Titans, 155
Sjostrom Flies To The Wall
Sjostrom missed ISL Match Six with back issues that she sustained while getting dressed.
The Swede returned for the following match and again on Monday underlined her multi-faceted midas touch with victory in the 100 fly in the opening race.
Out in 24.97 and back in 29.38, the Olympic champion touched in 55.35 leading home Madeline Banic for an Energy one-two after going ahead in the final metres.
She said:
“It was great. It felt great. I’ve been working on my underwaters. I felt so happy with this.”
Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL
The 27-year-old is a quadruple long-course world-record holder: she set the 50 and 100 free marks at the 2017 worlds at the same Duna Arena where she is competing at present.
She set the 100 fly record of 55.48 at Rio 2016, two year after her time of 24.43 for the 50 at the Swedish Championships in 2014 resounded on pool decks around the world.
That was just 0.05secs off the short-course world record set by Swedish compatriot Therese Alshammar in the shiny suit era of 2009.
Sjostrom’s coach at the time Carl Jenner described it the “closest thing to perfection”.
In an interview with Arena, Jenner said:
“Once you get the timing and the strength of the stroke then it is butterfly and it feels like you are flying.
“I think it is the most beautiful stroke when people get it right, when people float and fly through the water. It is like an art form.”
Jenner coached Sjostrom from the age of 13 – a year before she won her maiden European title – and guided her to three Olympic medals – one of each colour – four world and 10 European golds.
The pair split in late 2016 and Sjostrom is now coached by Johan Wallberg.
Speaking ahead of Rio, Jenner said:
“When she floats, she floats incredibly high.
“She is quite a big lady, she has got quite a lot of muscle, she is quite tall but she floats like a cork. That is natural, you can’t teach that, she has that genetically, her body composition means she is able to float very high in the water.
“She has got a very flat butterfly compared to a lot of other competitors. She keeps her kick quite narrow and she doesn’t let her hips move up and down too much, the hips and the upper body try to be as thin as possible to create the power going through from the kick through the hips and forward.
“That is one thing we worked on a lot when she was younger – to keep her very flat. You need a lot of core strength to be able to do that, because if you have a powerful kick, which she has, and you let your hips go up and down you are losing some of the effects of the kick and if you are going to stop that there is a lot of pressure put on your lower back and on your stomach so core strength for Sarah and most butterflyers and most swimmers is vital.”
Sjostrom ended day one atop the MVP standings with 37.5pts.
The Boys From Brazil
With no Florent Manaudou or Vlad Morozov in the 50 free, it was an opportunity for another man to take the points.
Bruno Fratus took his chance with both hands from lane one, his momentum steering him past Iron’s Maxim Lobanovskij to take maximum points for Tokyo Frog Kings.
Bruno Fratus: Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL
His time of 20.98 was a PB and he spoke to six-time world short-course champion Mark Foster on Eurosport, saying:
“Yes, sir! It’s the first time ever that I won in the ISL. It’s the first time ever that I swim a good short-course race.
“And I am of course talking to a short-course legend.”
Nicholas Santos may be 40 years old but age is clearly not a barrier with the Brazilian dipping inside 50 seconds for the first time to take second in the 100 fly in 49.87.
He also swam the fly leg on the 4×1 medley relay in 51.15 as Iron came in sixth.
Santos won his first medal in senior global waters back in 2004 when sixth-placed finisher Ramon Klenz was six.
Santos took bronze in the 50 free at the World Short-Course Championships in Indianapolis, USA, and since then has accumulated four world short-course titles and two Pan-American golds.
There have also been three world 50 fly long-course medals, the most recent being bronze at the 2019 worlds where he was not selected by his national federation who chose to include people swimming Olympic events only.
No matter. FINA extended an invitation and he repaid their faith by touching the wall behind Caeleb Dressel and Oleg Kostin.
Anton McKee Gift-Wraps Dad’s Birthday Present
Toronto may have ended the first day at the bottom of the leaderboard but they still had some fine performances.
Kelsey Wog went four for four in the 200br while Anton McKee won the men’s event for the third time with team-mate Erik Persson next home as the team-mates secured their second successive one-two.
Anton McKee at a Toronto Titans practice in Budapest; Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS
It was McKee’s father’s birthday and he said:
“It’s my dad’s birthday so I wanted to put in a good performance for him.
“It’s always a pleasure racing Erik: he’s a team-mate and I’m really happy to be putting points on the board.”
Shane Ryan has taken a wrecking ball to the Irish history books during the ISL season, setting new marks in the 100 backstroke and 50 and 100 fly.
On Monday he tied with Takeshi Kawamoto of the Tokyo Frog Kings for the 50 back title in 23.10.
The 2018 world short-course bronze medallist over 50 back told Swim Ireland:
“I’m so happy to be back racing again. It is great that I have so much support from the Swim Ireland and Toronto Titans team.
“I’m just trying to be consistent, taking it one race at a time.”
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