2021 ISL PLAYOFFS – MATCH 4
- Saturday, November 20 – Sunday, November 21
- 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
- Day 2 Start Lists
- Results
- Teams Competing: Cali Condors, London Roar, LA Current, Iron
If the Match 4 standings from day 1 hold, it will throw a big monkey wrench into the battle for the final two spots in the ISL grand finale in early December.
This one is likely to come down to the session-ending ‘skins’ race, where London has as good of a chance as anybody with both races being backstroke. In the women’s race, they’ll swim Kira Toussaint and Minna Atherton, and in the men’s they’ll throw out Guilherme Guido and Christian Diener.
These will be among the best skins fields we’ve seen this season, so that could lead to some excitement at the end of the meet.
TEAM SCORES – THRU DAY 1
- London Roar, 287.5
- Cali Condors, 238.0
- LA Current, 228.0
- Iron, 156.5
The biggest ‘existential’ story of day 1 was Caeleb Dressel‘s return to ISL competition after two months away. He swam a limited schedule on day 1, and that which he did swim, he wasn’t at his best. It looks like the Condors are going to continue to hold him back on day 2: he’s entered in only the 100 IM and the mixed 400 medley relay.
That means no 50 fly and no 100 free: events where under normal circumstances, he’d be a big favorite to win. That also needs no head to head matchup in the 100 free against Kyle Chalmers, who recently broke the World Record in that race. That’s a whiff on what was probably the most anticipated battle of the ISL season, though based on Dressel’s form on Saturday, it probably wouldn’t have been that competitive anyway.
Teams have gone in different directions on their mixed medleys. London is holding its backstrokers out of that race, as are LA Current, but Cali Condors currently have their top backstrokers, Coleman Stewart and Beata Nelson, on their mixed medleys.
Racing starts at 19:00 in Eindhoven, which is 1:00 Eastern Time in the U.S.
Caeleb has been at no meets for two months, gotten a tattoo and landed in The Netherlands on Friday (a six hour time difference). Even the greatest swimmer on the planet (who happens to hold 9 WRs) needs some time to be back at his best.
Let’s go Kyle!
Kyle Chandler
Kyle Busch
Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle Lowery
I know it’s disappointing not to have the stars at their best during the ISL playoffs, but for me actually this season has solidified that ISL is a big deal. Look at all the long course stars who ARE swimming in this match just months after the Olympics. Aside from Chalmers and Dressel, we have the entire men’s 200 free podium in Tom Dean, Duncan Scott, and Fernando Scheffer, we have 2/3 of the women’s 200 breast podium in Lilly King and Annie Lazor, we have 2/3 of the men’s 200 back podium in Ryan Murphy and Luke Greenbank, and we have double medalist Hali Flickinger. Madi Wilson fought her way back after being hospitalized for COVID to be here.… Read more »
*MOST DECORATED TOKYO OLYMPIAN in any sport in Caeleb Dressel.
5 gold medals > 4 golds.
Considering Chalmers 100 free leadoff split and Dressel’s 47 anchor split I don’t think this would be interesting to watch. That being said it really kills the hype for playoffs when so many big name athletes are either missing or coming off a break.
Would have been fun to watch Kyle jackpot him hahaha
Well they are pro athletes they owe it to the fans and ISL to be in reasonable shape, otherwise whats the point!
This is what happens when you put an event like this in an Olympic year. Some of the top athletes just want to rest after the mental and physical prep they’ve just gone through for the games so it’s no surprise some big names like Peaty and the Campbells are still absent athletes want a break to enjoy time to them self
Chalmers is swimming 200 free! Finally get to see that!
1.39.9
And they want us to think this is a serious league? Stef Curry isn’t playing tonight so he doesn’t have to go against Anthony Davis?
Booooo
they’re purposely making us wait till the final aren’t they
doubt Dressel will be in top form by then as well
yep, only ten days until the final.
Dressel at 90% is enough to win the 50 free 50 fly (assuming that szabo and Santos don’t make the finals, and yes, I think he can be faster than shields’ AR) 100 fly and 100 IM.
50% is enough to win 100IM
And, indeed, it was enough to win the 100 IM.
If Manaudou’s back in the team, the 50 could go either way. Flo was way better than Caeleb in the early 2020 season. If you count in Kyle, I don’t really see Caeleb dominating the way he did in 2019/2020 finals