Relay Analysis: Haughey, Sjostrom Provide Deadly Combo For Energy Standard

2020 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – MATCH 1

• Friday, October 16: 4 PM-6 PM Local Time (10 AM-12 noon U.S. Eastern, 11 PM-1 AM J+1 Japan)
• Saturday, October 17: 8 PM-10 PM Local Time (2 PM-4 PM U.S. Eastern, 3 AM-5 AM J+1 Japan)
• Duna Arena – Budapest, Hungary
• Short Course Meters (SCM) format
• ISL Technical Handbook
• 2020 ISL Scoring Format
• 2020 ISL Prize Money and Bonuses
• How To Watch
• Teams: Energy Standard, Cali Condors, LA Current, NY Breakers
• Full Day 1 Results (PDF)
• Day 2 Session 1 Results (PDF)

After there were four relays on the first day of the International Swimming League’s season opening match, day two featured just one, the mixed 4×100 freestyle. We’ll dive into everyone’s splits, and see who the difference makers were in the tightly contested event.

You can check out the details of yesterday’s relay splits here.

Mixed 400 Freestyle Relay

Male Lead-offs

With all eight teams utilizing the two men/two women strategy, which has always been standard on free relays, there wasn’t much between the clubs on the lead-off. Simonas Bilis, who didn’t get to swim the 100 free individually for Energy Standard, got the team out the lead in 47.16, which is an improvement from his 47.04 flying split yesterday.

Marco Ferreira, also not in the individual 100, put the LA Current in second, though his 47.41 was well off his lead-off swim on day one (46.72).

Male Flying Splits

Caeleb Dressel had the slowest reaction time in the field among swimmers with a relay takeover (not the first time) but still prevailed with the top male leg in 46.09. Though it was slightly off his individual winning 45.87, the split was still an improvement compared to yesterday’s 46.80 lead-off.

Dressel moved the Cali Condors up from fourth into first, giving the women every chance in the battle against Energy Standard.

Kristian Gkolomeev was impressive once again clocking 46.40 for LA, and Chad Le Clos also produced a second consecutive 46-second split to help Energy Standard ultimately earn the win.

Maxime Rooney, who was a standout yesterday with splits of 45.86 and 46.37, was a bit off in 47.35.

Female Flying Splits

Coming off her Asian Record in the individual race (51.38), Siobhan Haughey unloaded a scintillating 51.06 split for Energy Standard swimming third, overtaking Cali’s Olivia Smoliga to hand the lead off to Sarah Sjostrom. Sjostrom, who booked a tight win over Haughey individually in 51.17, had the #2 split in 51.23 to give the club the victory.

Sjostrom had the fastest flying split in the women’s free relay on day one – 51.41 – while Haughey had led off in 51.59.

Smoliga was one of four other women to crack 52 in the relay, as she and Natalie Hinds held off the LA Current to take second for the Condors. The Current had strong swims from Abbey Weitzeil (51.78) and Beryl Gastaldello (52.08).

The other standout was Kasia Wasick, who split 51.61 for the New York Breakers after clocking 51.82 for a new Polish Record in the individual race. She also went 52.12 on a lead-off and 52.25 with a takeover yesterday.

Pernille Blume hasn’t had the best meet, but showed signs of life with a 52.18 split here.

You can find the full results of the relay here.