
With match ten wrapped up after four weeks, the stage is set for the International Swimming League's semi-final. Teams battled well, and the swimming has been exhilarating this season. Two teams DC Trident and Aqua Centuriens, are headed home; the remaining eight teams will battle. They will be split into two semi-final rounds with four teams each. Tune in because the swimming and racing are going to continue to get better.
Semifinal 1 will feature:
- Energy Standard
- NY Breakers
- Tokyo Frog Kings
- London Roar.
Semifinal 1 runs Saturday 14 and Sunday, November 15.
Semifinal 2 will feature:
- Cali Condors
- Toronto Titans
- Iron
- LA Current
Semifinal 2 gets underway on Sunday 15 and concludes on Monday, November 16.
What to watch for:
- Placement - where are coaches going to place there swimmers
- Relays - Packed with actions, there are five relays on the roster. With a win worth 18 points, five relays can yield a maximum of 90 points is a substantial chunk of the 500 some odd points that are going to be required to move to the finals
- The Skins - the winning teams of the medley relays for men and women determine the skins race stroke. A skins win with a maximum of 64 (32 points per gender)
- JackPot Points - if a swimmer finishes ahead of other swimmers by a greater margin than the jackpot time, the points of these athletes are awarded to the club of the winner of the race. Relays are also in play here!
Swimmers to watch this weekend
With a veritable whos who of the swimming world on the rosters of all four teams that include World & Olympic champions and record holders, there will be no shortage of big names to watch for. Here are six that will have an impact on the outcome
Caeleb Dressel
Multi-stroke sprint specialist. Team: Cali Condores - Home country: USA
Béryl Gastaldello
A butterfly and freestyle specialist. Team: LA Current - Home Country: France
Ryan Murphy
A backstroke specialist and powerful IM swimmer. Team: LA Current - Home Country - USA
Lilly King
A breaststroke specialist. Team: Cali Condores - Home country the USA
Olivia Smoliga
A backstroke & freestyle specialist. Team: Cali Condores - Home country the USA
Emre Sakçı
A breaststroke specialist. Team: Iron - Home country Turkey
The bottom line is this is going to be an exciting battle. The 2020 ISL season ended This week for two teams. This weekend, four more teams will go home, but rest assured no one is going anywhere without battling hard and right to the finish line. Bring on the ISL!
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