Who Is Out? Numerous Big Names Bypassing Second Season of ISL

simone-manuel-worlds-international-swimming-league

Simone Manuel is not on an ISL roster for this year. Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

Who Is Out? Numerous Big Names Bypassing Second Season of ISL

As the International Swimming League announced its participants for the second season, there were some notable big names missing from the league’s roster. There are still uncertainties with the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting much of the world, and that scenario is a reason why some big name swimmers will not participate in the second season of the league.

The Olympic Games will also take priority for a lot of swimmers that wish to not participate in the ISL and focus strictly on long course, as the ISL has indicated it will only be in short course meters for the time being.

There were a lot of roster shifts with the new teams being added, and a lot of new eligible faces added to the league. With all the confusion among the new roster announcements, here are some notable names that were not listed on any rosters, as the athletes most likely want to remain focused on the Olympics and not risk traveling during the pandemic while cases still remain up in many parts of the world.

Notable names Katie Ledecky, Nathan Adrian, Kathleen Baker and Anton Chupkov are not on any ISL rosters after swimming last year, as they are all training for success in Tokyo at the Olympic Games. All four of them won individual medals in Rio and have real chances of getting back to the podium in Japan next summer.

Reigning Olympic champions Simone Manuel and Gregorio Paltrinieri are also notably absent from any ISL rosters as they did not compete last year either. Paltrinieri primarily swims the 1500, which is not offered in the league, while Manuel is likely just laser-focused on long course training and the Olympic Games. The Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk confirmed he will not be competing this season although will still be training at Energy Standard.

China has also yet to send any swimmers to the International Swimming League as their best swimmers Ye Shiwen, Xu Jiayu and Yan Zibei did not make any rosters. Japan’s Tokyo Frog Kings, led by legendary Kosuke Kitajima, features the best of the best from Japan, but notably missing former 200 breast world record holder Ippei Watanabe.

Eligible Swimmers Not Participating in the International Swimming League Unless Noted Otherwise:

Katie Ledecky will not swim in the International Swimming League this year – Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Nathan Adrian, USA
Kathleen Baker, USA
Charlotte Bonnet, France
Anton Chupkov, Russia
Santo Condorelli, Italy
Jack Conger, USA
Natalie Coughlin, USA
Laszlo Cseh, Hungary
Jeremy Desplanches, Switzerland
Gabriele Detti, Italy
Ryan Held, USA
Anton Ipsen, DEN
Chase Kalisz, USA
Arno Kamminga, Netherlands
Sarah Kohler, Germany
Katie Ledecky, USA
Jay Litherland, USA
Simone Manuel, USA

penny-oleksiak-international-swimming-league

Penny Oleksiak will not be in the International Swimming League this season. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Cody Miller, USA
Lia Neal, USA
Penny Oleksiak, Canada
Gregorio Paltrinieri, Italy
Margherita Panziera, Italy
Mykhailo Romanchuk, Ukraine
Allison Schmitt, USA
Brianna Throssell, Australia
Ippei Watanabe, Japan
Andrew Wilson, USA
Xu Jiayu, China
Yan Zibei, China
Ye Shiwen, China

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