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 winner of the American ISL derby:
RESULTS
Question: Who will win the American ISL Derby?
- Cali Condors – 72.7%
- LA Current – 19.3%
- DC Trident – 5.0%
- New York Breakers – 3.0%
An overwhelming majority – almost three-quarters – of voters picked the Cali Condors to win the American derby in the International Swimming League.
The Condors were the runners-up in both Group A meets, losing only to Europe’s Energy Standard. Meanwhile the LA Current were second in the first Group B match, but fell to third in the second match. They got 19.3% of the votes in the poll.
Those two are the clear-cut favorites. LA seems to have slightly better relay depth across the board, but Cali has a little more star power. Cali’s Caeleb Dressel was the MVP in his only Group A appearance, winning the all-important skins race and coming up big on relays. LA doesn’t have anyone who can match Dressel, but they do have most of the other top American men, including backstroker Ryan Murphy and IMer Chase Kalisz, though Kalisz didn’t compete at either Group B stop.
The meet will probably hinge on who attends and what kind of shape they’re in. For what it’s worth, neither team has all that much to swim for. With two European franchises and two American franchises guaranteed to make the league championship, it’s almost assured that both California-based teams will make the final. Cali leads the American teams with 6 points, and LA has 5. As long as LA doesn’t lose badly to the 4-point DC Trident (which would be a pretty major upset), both Cali and LA will make the Las Vegas championship meet.
DC got just 5% of the votes, which is probably fair, despite DC having superstar Katie Ledecky, one of the biggest names in the league. The ISL’s sprint-based format doesn’t really play to Ledecky’s strengths, though. The New York Breakers only go 3% of the vote – but that still feels high. They weren’t even close to anything but 4th in either Group B match, and don’t seem to have the firepower to challenge either of the top two teams in the American derby.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters to pick the winner of the ISL’s European derby:
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner
I think LA Current will surprise you.
My prediction for the American derby:
1. LA Current: 490-520 points
2. Cali Condors: 470-500 points
3. NY Breakers: 330-360 points
4. DC Trident: 300-330 points
I know this is going against the popular prediction, but barring an underperformance, I think LA Current wins it (assuming all the important swimmers show up for all teams). It should be close though.
I think the trio of Roar/Current/Iron was so strong that it made Breakers look really bad, but they have a decent team. DC Trident just doesn’t have the depth, especially in the relays/skins.
I voted for LA Current too but it seems like a bit of a coin flip.
The numbers are favoring LA Current, but who knows? Maybe Cali Condors will bring their A game after losing by such a heartbreakingly small margin in Naples.
This is an unnecessary stage . We know who the 4 are . On with the show .
It’s only unnecessary this year because the teams aren’t very balanced.
LA is lucky the format keeps team iron out.
Yep. If Iron swims as well as they did in Budapest (not sure Hosszu is up for it again) they could beat Energy Standard in the Euro Derby but definitely not Roar.
Yeah, I’m also betting on Iron to take it over Energy Standard.
This swim league is a bunch of gaga googoo. It won’t last.