After months of speculation as to when the International Swimming League would reveal the American athletes who will compete later this year, the league announced Tuesday that it will “begin” to reveal U.S. rosters next week.
Who’s swimming in the ISL this season? In just ONE WEEK, we will begin to officially announce athletes for the 2019 season! Get excited, swim fans. #ISL2019
— International Swimming League (@iswimleague) June 5, 2019
While that tweet does not specify that it is related to U.S. rosters, DC Trident GM Kaitlin Sandeno tweeted shortly after that her team is included in the announcement.
Names of swimmers competing for international teams have been trickling out for months. The ISL told SwimSwam it expected the U.S.-based rosters in May, but the month came and went without an announcement. In late May, however, the league did announce its competition schedule (and corresponding venues), which is as follows:
- Indianapolis, IN, USA – October 4-5
- Naples, Italy, Europe – October 12-13
- Lewisville, TX, USA – October 18-19
- Budapest, Hungary, Europe – October 26-27
- College Park, MD, USA – November 15-16
- London, England, Europe – November 23-24
- Las Vegas, NV, USA – December 20-21
In the meantime, some U.S. roster information has leaked out, been announced, or can be surmised.
- Michael Andrew will be co-owning the New York Breakers with his mother, and will presumably be swimming for them.
- Bowen Becker announced on Instagram he’ll swim for the the California Condors, although that post was quickly deleted.
- Ryan Murphy indicated in an Instagram story (although did not outright say) that he’d be swimming at the Indianapolis meet. That meet is schedule to feature the DC Trident and the Cali Condors, and it would make sense that Murphy, who trains at Cal, will end up on the Condors.
- Murphy, Katie Ledecky, Nathan Adrian, and Simone Manuel have all been named ISL ambassadors. All four train in California, although Ledecky is from the DC area, so we’ll have to see if she ends up competing for her “home” team, or the team closer to where she currently lives and trains.
- In April, German media reported that German star Marco Koch would compete for the Breakers.
recall seeing Olivia Smoliga shared poster for race in Italy which include Cali Condors and DC Trident as well. Which team will she join? Or will she shock us all going with Aqua Centurions or Energy Standard (the other 2 teams in that group)?
Athens Bulldog will be at the Mare Nostrum, which traditionally has a stop in Italy. That may be where the poster is from.
Mare Nostrum hasn’t had a stop in Italy since Rome was dropped in 2005, and if I recall (the story has expired), it was explicitly a poster for the ISL meet there.
Here’s my theory: Cody Miller for the DC team, because he had a photo shoot during the TYR Pro swim series for his ISL team, and Kaitlin Sandeno was doing deck pass live there. Coincidence? I THINK NOT
All four teams tried to recruit me, but I told them all no cause I am too fast. Don’t want them all to feel bad! Sorry!
I think I just found Dean’s username
Lochte ?
I’m not sure how many times I’ve seen the phrase ‘next week’, but it seems they are finally serious this time.
When you are a Russian billionaire oligarch, you will rewrite “next week” as often as you want. The social media posts can disappear as easily as they appeared, as can everyone else involved.
Our benevolent dictator is benevolent for now, but methinks that eventually he too will eventually go the way of the current benevolent dictators in our sport.
Lmao
Idk about you guys, but for me the Champions Series seems to have really blunted the hype and momentum of the ISL. Probably just what FINA wanted.
I think it may be just you
If they have free beer that may bring back some of the excitement for you
About time, when will they start selling merch?
OMG, I want a shirt with that LOGO!!