SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers to pick the best first-round rookie draft pick in the ISL’s Draft:
RESULTS
Question: Who was the best first-round pick in the ISL Draft?
- Ryan Hoffer to DCT – 50.5%
- Paige Madden to TOK – 23.2%
- Arno Kamminga to AQC – 21.1%
- Matthew Temple to NYB – 5.2%
Voters overwhelmingly agree: #2 overall pick Ryan Hoffer was the best value of the first-ever ISL Draft, far outpacing #1 pick Arno Kamminga.
The Aqua Centurions shocked fans by selecting Kamminga #1 overall last week – not because Kamminga wasn’t the best swimmer on the board (he arguably was), but because they were already stacked in the breaststrokes after using 4 of their first 5 retained swimmer spots on breaststrokers.
Kamminga is an elite-level breaststroker across the 50-, 100-, and 200-meter events. He’s also a proven commodity in short course meters, the format of the ISL’s professional swimming league. Kamminga’s mix of speed and endurance should make him valuable in the multi-round skins race, which features three rounds of 50s, with the lowest finishers knocked out and the finalists garnering a massive points boost for their team.
On the other hand, Aqua already retained young up-and-comer Nicolo Martinenghi and veteran Fabio Scozzoli, two of the best breaststrokers in the league last year.
DC appeared thrilled to add Hoffer, the versatile superstar of the NCAA format who just wrapped up his senior season with the California Golden Bears. Hoffer can be a top-notch sprinter in free, fly, and back, though he’s much more accomplished in short course yards than in the short course meters format.
Our poll does show some level of skewing towards American swimmers, though. Voters even picked Paige Madden (to Tokyo at #5 overall) above Kamminga. Madden might get a bit of a scoring boost with new checkpoint rules in the 400 free, but it’s hard to argue that she’ll have more value than Kamminga without any major opportunities in the huge-scoring skins races.
Just 5.2% of voters picked Australian Matthew Temple, who went to the New York Breakers at #3 overall.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters how many world records will fall at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021. Our poll is asking how many total world record swims there will be – so a world record in semis, then re-broken in finals would count as two world record swims. For reference, here are the numbers of world record swims (far right column) and events with a world record swim (middle column) at the past five Olympic Games:
| Meet | World Record Events | World Record Swims |
| 2000 | 13 | 14 |
| 2004 | 8 | 8 |
| 2008 | 20 | 24 |
| 2012 | 9 | 9 |
| 2016 | 7 | 8 |
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ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner
Did Brett Pinfold get picked up by anyone?
Not yet. But, there seems to be a classic ISL clampdown-control on the release of free agent signings.
Americans overhypes everything yet again 🤣🤣🤣
I really don’t get your negativity man. It’s a bad look.
It’s because he’s from a relatively small country where’s he’s been top dog for so long and he’s got a bit of an ego as a result that isn’t being satisfied while in the states.
I think Oleg Kostin will have a much bigger impact than people realize for Cali. He is built for ISL and was huge for Russia at SC worlds in 2018.
Kostin’s SCM PB’s and where they would have placed at the ISL Finals.
50 Fly 22.07 (1st!)
100 Breast 56.16 (T-3rd)
50 Breast 25.90 (5th but right in the mix for top 3)
100 Fly 50.05 (7th)
I’d like to change my vote to Popovici
Rock the Red babey lessgoooooo!
Maybe one reason Ryan Hoffer is not more accomplished in short course meters is that there are very few short course meters events in the US, but we have seen how good his turns and under waters are.
People don’t know that Paige Madden isn’t just good at the 400. She can swim a good 200 free, 100 free (relays), 200 back and fly good as well.
Which, similar to the Kamminga pick, has way less value to a Tokyo team that already features Leah Smith as one of their protected swimmers vs any of the breaststrokers or spinters who went later in the first round.
Eh Paige beat Leah at trials in the 200&400 free
Lol no chance more than 7 wr’s are going in Tokyo. Dressel, Milak, and Peaty have a shot, and any of 3 people in m200 breast/w100 fly, but aside from that and maybe the mixed medley relay, I just don’t see it happening this year.
m100 back
Men: 50/100/1500 free, 100 back, 100/200 breast, 100/200 fly, all relays
Women: 200/400 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 100 fly, all relays
I think there is a realistic chance that more than 10 world records will be broken.
We are seeing it in athletics, the pandemic and lack of testing means crazy improvements for many athletes, you can’t compare it to previous olympics in my opinion.
Events with WRs that could legit go down:
Men
50m free (Dressel)
100m free (Dressel, Chalmers)
100m fly (Dressel)
200m fly (Milak)
100m back (Murphy, Kolesnikov, Rylov, Jiayu)
100m breast (Peaty)
200m breast (a bunch)
Women
100m fly (Huske, Macneil, Yufei)
100m back (McKeown, Smith, Masse)
200m free (Titmus)
400m free (Ledecky, Titmus)
800m free (Ledecky)
1500m free (Ledecky)
Add in the mixed relay and you have a lot more than 7 events.
Sadly, Ledecky in the 800 and 1500 seems very unlikely.
W100back maybe, also the Australian free relays on the women’s side
All of the men’s relays could go down—the men’s medley WR is quite likely if the US is firing correctly. If GBR’s rolling starts only slightly improve from their times in the 200 (and I think Guy will be about a second faster than his flat start time this year) then the 4*200 free WR goes as well. 4*100 is the most unlikely after US trials, but both them and Russia have a possibility of clipping it.
Men’s:
50 free (Dressel)
100 free (Dressel/Chalmers)
100 Back (Murphy/Xu/Rylov/Kolesnikov)
100 Breast (u kno who)
200 Breast (Chupkov et al.)
100 Fly (Dressel)
200 Fly (Milak)
400 Medley relay (US/UK men’s projections are faster than the WR)
Women’s:
200 free (Titmus)
400 free (Titmus/Ledecky)
100 back (McKeown/Smith/Masse)
200 back (McKeown)
100 breast (King)
100 fly (list goes on)
200 fly – jk
800 free relay (AUS)
400 medley relay (USA or AUS)
Mixed medley (USA/AUS)
That’s 17 I’ll deem as “I won’t be surprised if they’re broken”
200 fly jk 😂😂😂😂