2021 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – SEASON 3, MATCH 18 – LEAGUE FINAL
- Friday, December 3rd – Saturday, December 4th
- 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm local time; 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST
- Pieter van den Hoogenband Zwemstadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Short Course Meters (25m – SCM) Format
- ISL Season 3 Schedules, Start Times, & More
- Live Results
- Teams Competing: Energy Standard, Cali Condors, London Roar, LA Current
The 2021 ISL League Final is here! Energy Standard, the Cali Condors, London Roar, and LA Current will battle for the third consecutive season for the league title. This is our “fly by” preview. For a much more in-depth look at the 2021 League Final, check out the “Deep Dive” preview. If short and sweet is more your speed, you’re in the right place.
THE JACKPOT FACTOR
First off, let’s take a look at Energy Standard’s three big jackpot swimmers: Ilya Shymanovich, Sarah Sjostrom, and Siobhan Haughey.
While these are not the only three swimmers competing in the 2021 League Final with the potential to jackpot half or more of the other swimmers in their given events, the fact that they’re all on the same team gives Energy Standard a major boost.
Of course, Caeleb Dressel of the Cali Condors, Duncan Scott of the London Roar, and Ingrid Wilm and Ryan Murphy of the LA Current could all jackpot half or more of their competitors in one or more races, but none of these clubs have as many jackpot-capable swimmers as Energy Standard does.
STROKE-BY-STROKE ANALYSIS
Butterfly
Caeleb Dressel (Cali), Tom Shields (LA), and Chad le Clos (Energy) represent the top-3 male sprint butterfliers competing this weekend, though Dressel and Shields have overshadowed le Clos this season.
The London Roar is strong in the 50 fly thanks to Kyle Chalmers and Dylan Carter, as well as the 100 and 200 thanks to Vini Lanza and Teppei Morimoto, though Chalmers can also swim a competitive 100 fly, or fill the fly spot on a medley relay, if needed. Meanwhile, Shields and le Clos are the top-2 200 flyers in ISL history, with Cali’s Eddie Wang not far behind. Were it not for Wang, Cali might not have a chance in the men’s 200 fly.
On the women’s side, Cali brings in ISL Record holder Kelsi Dahlia, Energy Standard has Sarah Sjostrom, while London has Emma McKeon. Any one of these three could take the 100 fly, though Sjostrom has to have the edge in the 50 fly, while Dahlia is the only one we’d expect to see in the 200 fly, though Cali will likely save her for the relays and use Hali Flickinger instead.
Backstroke
Energy Standard brings in super backstroke duo Evgeny Rylov and Kliment Kolesnikov, though they will face heavy opposition from London’s Guilherme Guido, Luke Greenbank, and Christian Diener.
The Cali Condors answer back with Coleman Stewart and Justin Ress, while the LA Current has Ryan Murphy, who has been a huge boost to the Current in the post-season.
Energy Standard isn’t quite as strong in women’s backstroke, though Mary-Sophie Harvey and Anastasiya Shkurdai can be counted on to put decent points on the board.
The LA Current brings in breakout star Ingrid Wilm who has proven she can upset the “favorite” in almost any backstroke race.
Minna Atherton and Kira Toussaint are a potent duo for the London Roar, though Atherton is not on her season 1 form. The Cali Condors have Beata Nelson and Olivia Smoliga, the former of which has been extremely reliable both of the past two seasons.
Breaststroke
Men’s breaststroke will be dominated by Ilya Shymanovich with teammate Felipe Lima probably adding some points to the haul as well.
Other male breaststroke specialists worth mentioning are Nic Fink of Cali and Christopher Rothbauer of LA are the only other male breaststroke specialists worth mentioning, and even they face a major jackpot threat from Shymanovich.
Women’s breaststroke is more competitive, though the Condors seem strongest thanks to Lilly King, Emily Escobedo, and Molly Hannis.
London answers back with Alia Atkinson and Annie Lazor, while LA brings in Imogen Clark and Anastasia Gorbenko. Finally, Energy Standard has its own great duo in Evgenia Chikunova and Benedetta Pilato, though Pilato is yet to find her form this season.
Pilato has not raced for Energy Standard yet in the playoffs, but indicates on Instagram that she’ll be in action for the final.
Freestyle
The London Roar covers all the bases in men’s freestyle—Kyle Chalmers, Dylan Carter, Duncan Scott, and Tom Dean—just as Energy Standard does in women’s freestyle—Sarah Sjostrom, Siobhan Haughey, Femke Heemskerk.
The LA Current is also quite strong in women’s freestyle, thanks mostly to Abbey Weitzeil and Madison Wilson, as is the Cali Condors, thanks to Natalie Hinds, Olivia Smoliga, Hali Flickinger, and Erika Brown, granted, Flickinger, Smoliga, and Brown specialize in other disciplines as well.
It is somewhat surprising that the Cali Condors are relatively weak in men’s freestyle, despite having Caeleb Dressel and Justin Ress—this is because the Condors have not been strong in middle-distance this season and need some big swims from Townley Haas if they are to get any significant points on the board this weekend.
The LA Current has been much better in middle-distance freestyle on the men’s side, thanks to Fernando Scheffer and Martin Malyutin, than in the men’s sprints lately, though Maxime Rooney and Brett Pinfold could get points on the board in the 50 and 100.
Individual Medley
The top two men’s IMers competing this weekend, Dressel and Scott, also specialize in other events, though we might expect Dressel to win the 100 IM and Scott the 400 IM.
Scott should also be the favorite in the 200 IM, though if Dressel swims it (unlikely, but not totally out of the question), he’s got a chance.
Energy Standard has Charlie Swanson, Kliment Kolesnikov, and Kregor Zirk for men’s IM, though none would be the favorites to win an event, save for possibly Kolesnikov in the 100.
Similarly, Tomoe Hvas and Abrahm Devine will be LA’s best hope for points in the IMs this weekend; Hvas has had a good season, though Devine has not been on form.
Women’s IM will be an interesting tug-of-war between the London Roar, Energy Standard, and the Cali Condors.
London’s Sydney Pickrem and Katie Shanahan are two of the best in the league in the 200 and 400 IM, while Mary-Sophie Harvey and Helena Rosendahl Bach are also highly competitive in those races.
The Cali Condors cover all the bases with Beata Nelson in the 100 and 200 IMs, and Hali Flickinger in the 200 and 400 IMs. The battle between Flickinger and Pickrem in the 400 IM should be one of the best races to watch this weekend.
The LA Current women need some big performance in the women’s IMs to get significant points on the board—if Anastasia Gorbenko and Abbey Weitzeil are on form, they should at least pick up decent points in the 100 IM.
Relays
Energy Standard should be in the running to challenge for the victory in all five relays, though the men’s and mixed 4×100 medley are the only two in which they’re the fastest club in the ISL this season.
The London men have proven they’re the team to beat in the 4×100 free, and the Roar are also the fastest team this season in the women’s 4×100 medley. The Condors are typically very strong in the women’s medley as well, with a formidable middle duo of Lilly King and Kelsi Dahlia.
In the women’s 4×100 free, Energy has Sarah Sjostrom and Siobhan Haughey to lead the charge, though the LA Current executed perfectly in the fourth playoff match and established the top time of the season (3:27.44).
Projected Team Standings
- Energy Standard
- Cali Condors
- London Roar
- LA Current
Overall, Energy Standard appears the team to beat in the Season 3 final. Between their massive jackpot potentials and their abilities to put together strong relays, it is difficult to give any other team the edge in the overall team standings.
Anyone has a link or will be streaming?
The London Roar are strong in sprint fly thanks to Lanza + Morimoto? Not Carter or Chalmers their fastest 50Fly swimmers? Come on SwimSwam!
There’s been quite a few of these very obvious errors in these articles. Morimoto has been jackpotted every time he swam the 50, and Carter’s actually won it.
LOL at the article not even acknowledging Roar has two male breaststrokers. I still can’t believe that London chose Murdoch immediately before Energy chose Lima, when Murdoch scored 20 points last season and Lima scored 80. Seriously, WHAT were they thinking? It must be because he’s British. Lima was just so obviously more valuable based on previous seasons, and clearly that’s continued this season.
Who would have swum the 200’s for them all season? Lima wouldn’t score 80pts having to swim it.
Tom Dean is only half a second behind Murdoch in the 200 despite not swimming breast. We could have taken the L by getting jackpotted in the 200 every time, and instead had a viable 50, 100, medley relay, mixed medley relay and breaststroke skins. Sprint breast is exponentially more important in the ISL format than the 200. Instead we’re likely to get 0 points in the 50 and 100 and have no chance at winning the medley or MMR.
Given they obviously knew Dean wasn’t at that, nor were Prigoda or Peaty. Who would have swum 200 had they not taken Murdoch?
Duncan Scott of course. He swims everything else …
Anyone. Literally anyone. Scott could have put up an ok performance. Anyone could have just swam it to avoid a penalty. Or even if they had just take a -4 DNS in the 200 every time, we would STILL have been in a far better position than we are now.
Also they probably could have just got Murdoch in the free agency period becuase no one else would have picked him.
Adam Peaty will smash Dolphinovich in the big pool, where Legacy is created.
Gastaldello out. She posted she needed to go home.
Per her IG, the LA Current are not allowing Beryl Gastaldello to compete.
Omg. It sounds like everything is ok which is good, but that’s really sad for her.
CBS?
It’s not on live it starts at 1 pm est but is airing on cbs sports at 7 pm est