2019 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – AMERICAN DERBY
- Saturday, November 16 – Sunday, November 17, 2019
- 2:00-4:00 PM Local Time (U.S. Eastern Time)
- Eppley Recreation Center – College Park, MD
- Short Course Meters (SCM) format
- American franchises: Cali Condors, LA Current, DC Trident, New York Breakers
- Preview
- Live Stream (ESPN3)
- Full Day 1 Results
Beryl Gastaldello was the MVP runner-up at the 2019 International Swimming League (ISL) stop in Maryland, but in the eyes of the LA Current, nobody could have been more valuable to her team than was the Frenchwoman.
On Sunday, she gave her team massive points via a skins race as they upset the Cali Condors by 5.5 points, even after a pair of day 1 disqualifications on Saturday.
Before that skins race, Gastaldello swam and won the women’s 50 fly in a 24.81. That breaks both the U.S. Open Record in the event and the French Record in the event.
The U.S. Open Record is the fastest time swum by a swimmer of any nationality in a meet on U.S. soil. With very few short course meters meets hosted on U.S. soil, many U.S. Open Records have been broken in ISL competition, which in 2019 is being raced exclusively in short course meters.
The old U.S. Open Record belonged to Gastaldello as well thanks to a 25.15 that she swam at the Lewisville stop of the series. The old French record was also Gastaldello’s from the ISL meet in Budapest where she swam 24.92.
Her best time pre-2019-ISL was 25.70. She is also the owner of one of the fastest 50 yard fly swims in history that she swam during her collegiate career at Texas A&M.
Gastaldello said post-meet that she will fly home to France at the end of November to race at the European Short Course Championships, followed by 2 days of racing at French Nationals and a return to the United States for the Las Vegas finale of the ISL.
“I love racing. I don’t like practicing, if you like practicing you’re weird,” Gastaldello joked post-meet. “That’s what drives me, that’s what were here for.”
Béryl has reached a new level in the last few weeks.
Hopefully she can convert that progression into long course for next year and the olympic games.
Beryl was amazing is this 50 Free SKINS race! The way she swam, streamlined & warned down in between races! Big game changer for the LACurrent!!