Shields, Dressel Historic on Relays: 4 Storylines From ISL Semifinal #2 Day 1

2020 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – SEMIFINAL #2

• Sunday, November 15th: 6-8pm CET/11-1pm U.S. Central
• Monday, November 16th: 6-8pm CET/11-1pm U.S. Central
• 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
• Omega Results 
• Teams: Cali Condors / LA Current / Iron / Toronto Titans
• Startlists Day 1
• Results Day 1

Following a crazy Semifinal #1 that saw two World Records toppled by way of Kira Toussaint in the women’s 50 backstroke and Adam Peaty in the men’s 100 breaststroke, the bar was set high for the swimmers of Semifinal #2. Though we did not see any World Records on day 1 of this semifinal there were some performances that stand out. Points wise, things are unfolding as we expected with the two American teams, the Cali Condors and LA Current, battling it out for first while Iron, the home team, and the Toronto Titans, one of the ISL newcomers, are in a tight race for third.

Team Scores Day 1

1. Tom Shields Splits 48.14 on 100 Fly in 4 x 100 Medley Relay

Already the owner of the fastest 100 fly relay split in history in SCM, Tom Shields delivered the second-fastest relay split all-time in today’s match with a 48.14 to help LA Current win the men’s 4 x 100 medley relay, also giving them the option of what stroke to race in the 50 skins tomorrow.

Shields split today was just 0.07 shy of his record from the 2015 Duel in the Pool in Indianapolis and 0.14 faster than competitor Caeleb Dressel‘s fastest-ever 100 fly split of 48.28 from the 2018 World Championships. Today, Dressel posted a 48.92 on the Cali Condors’ relay which itself ranks as the 9th-fastest split ever in a 100 SCM butterfly, though it’s worth noting that in the individual 100 fly Dressel also posted a 48.92, getting the better of Shields by 0.09.

2. Caeleb Dressel Splits 44.91 on 100 Free in 4 x 100 Free Relay

While Dressel couldn’t quite match Shields in the butterfly split on the medley relay he was in a league of his own as the anchor of Cali’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay. Splitting a 44.91, Dressel is now the owner of the 5th-fastest relay split in history. In fact, Dressel is now one of only 7 men to swim below the 45-second barrier in the 100 freestyle in SCM on a relay, though he has yet to do it from a flat start. It is interesting, however, that only 2 of the 7 sub-45 splits happened in 2009 during the super suit era, both of which came from American swimmers.

All Sub-45 100 Freestyle Relay Splits – SCM

1. 44.67, Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2014
2. 44.68, Matt Grevers (USA), 2009
3. 44.80, Florent Manaudou (FRA), 2014
4. 44.81, Nathan Adrian (USA), 2009
5. 44.91, Caeleb Dressel (USA), 2020*
6. 44.94, Fabien Gilot (FRA), 2010
7. 44.95, Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 2012

3. Beryl Gastaldello Becomes 9th-Fastest Performer Ever in Women’s 100 Fly

LA’s Beryl Gastaldello won the women’s 100 butterfly today in a commanding 55.32 making her the 9th-fastest woman to ever swim the race. Gastaldello did not quite hit the French Record in the event which stands at 55.05, set by Diane Bui Duyet at the 2009 European Championships in Istanbul. Gastaldello can claim to be the fastest-ever French woman that grew up in France as Bui Duyet was actually raised in New Caledonia, making her representation of France on the international stage similar to that of Mehdy Metella who was born and lived part of his life in French Guiana.

Since LA is very likely going to be competing in the ISL Final next weekend it is probable that we will get to see Gastaldello get one final crack at the French Record and a time in the 54s. Overall the 100 fly was a great swim for Gastaldello from start to finish, so any improvements she has yet to make are likely to only come from a little rest before the final.

4. Lilly King Still Working to Get Back on a Win Streak

Though Lilly King won the women’s 200 breaststroke today she was out-touched by teammate Molly Hannis in the 50 breast, finishing in 29.35 to Hannis’ 29.24. At the end of the session, King split a 1:04.26 on the breaststroke leg of the women’s 4 x 100 medley, making her the fastest of the 8 breaststrokers in the field, but only by 0.01.

This afternoon during the final day of Semifinal #1, London Roar’s Alia Atkinson put up a menacing 1:02.66 to easily win the women’s 100 breaststroke, also out-swimming King’s relay split by 1.60 seconds. Energy Standard’s Benedetta Pilato also put up a 1:03.55 to easily slip under King’s split on the relay. Atkinson, Pilato, and King will all likely face off at least twice next week in the Final where each swimmer should be entered in both the 50 and 100 breaststrokes, with King also being a lock for the 200. Pilato put up a 28.86 in the women’s 50 breast in Semifinal #1 day 1 while Atkinson put up a 29.30, both times faster than King went today. King is the World Record holder in the 50 and 100 LCM breaststrokes and is one of the most prolific winners in the ISL’s short history, so her upcoming races with Atkinson and Pilato will be entertaining.