Federica Pellegrini Proud That All Roads Lead To Home For Swimming League’s European Debut

Federica PELLEGRINI of Italy prepares herself before competing in the women's 200m Freestyle Heats during the LEN European Swimming Championships at Europa-Sportpark in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Aug. 22, 2014. (Photo by Patrick B. Kraemer / MAGICPBK)

The flexible Federica Pellegrini - Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer

200m Queen Federica Pellegrini Excited For Naples Launch Of ISL

It was hard to tell who was more excited on the eve of the first-ever European round of the inaugural International Swimming League (ISL) this weekend: Federica Pellegrini or the City of Naples celebrating swimming royalty and the new gem in swimming’s crown of competitions.

One thing was certain: Aqua Centurions captain Pellegrini, 31, is the undisputed queen of the Italian waves. Cameras whirred, officials purred, the Lioness of Verona padded centre stage as Naples City Hall rolled out the red carpet for the country’s pool pioneer.

The Olympic champion of 2008 with a soaring record of eight straight podiums over 200m freestyle at World Championships, four titles among them, in her personal Pantheon, was thrilled to find herself not only a part of a swimming revolution but one that kicked off on this continent right here in her home country.

Pellegrini made her League debut with Aqua team-mates and rivals from three other squads in Indianapolis last week. On the eve of the first rematch in the six-round knockout event leaving to a showdown at the Final Match in Las Vegas two days out from Christmas, she said:

“I am so excited to have this great event in my country. This will be another world for us.”

Federica Pellegrini of Italy celebrates after winning in the women’s 200m Freestyle Final during the Swimming events at the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships, Gwangju, South Korea, 24 July 2019.

Federica Pellegrini. Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer

One she knows very well from a time when all roads travelled by swim fans led to Rome and a 2009 World Championships from which she emerged with superstar status. Each of her golden swims in the 200 and 400m freestyle at the resplendent Foro Italico delivered a World record. That there were 43 of those in eights days somewhat took the shine off the value of what ought to be soaringly special moments.

There was a very dull side to shiny suits – and they had to go. Pellegrini remained and built the longest and most outstanding 200m freestyle career in swimming history, through thick and thin, including the death of her mentor, Alberto Castagnetti soon after he’d watched his charge wow the home crowd in Rome.

Not even Alberto might have imagined that a decade on, in 2019, Pellegrini’s fourth global long-course crown over 200m freestyle would make her the first swimmer in history to win eight consecutive medals in the same event at the world championships: four gold medals [2009, 2011, 2017, 2019], three silver medals [2005, 2013, 2015] and one bronze medal [2007].

Only Michael Phelps, 2000/1-2016, can claim to have got to the top and stayed there, consistently, at the very helm of his events and sport for so long. Imagine if we’d have seen Mark Spitz make it to the podium in 1984; or Matt Biondi at Sydney 2000; Janet Evans at Athens 2004; and Debbie Meyer at the 1984 Olympics and still making the medals.

Not quite. Different world, of course, not least of all now in this watershed of years for swimming. The League arrived with a pledge of a 50:50 share of revenues and a wage at the end of a season of regular racing that does not expect a world-record and peak performance with every passing “on your marks”.

The Clash Of Ages

Florent Manaudou – Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

caeleb-dressel-100-free-prelims-world-championships_4

Caeleb Dressel – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

The individual remains key but the emphasis is on team in a format that does not demand the presence of the biggest guns at every round. This weekend will witness the arrival of Caeleb The Condor Dressel for the Cali Condors, while one of his key rivals, Florent Manaudou, is among those who saw the League as alchemy for comeback and another Olympic campaign.

Manaudou contributed significantly, with victory in the skins, to Energy Standard‘s victory in Indianapolis. Enter Dressel and a dynamic shift for the Cali Condors that will require sharp tactical skills from head coaches, James Gibson, for Energy, and Gregg Troy for the Condors. Gibson’s take on round 1:

“We got the strategy right. Energy Standard had the best strategy in the field. The Cali Condors, on paper, looked exceptionally strong. Probably the strongest team out there. But I think we had a lot better strategy going into some of the races, especially the relays and the skins events at the end.”

Jason Lezak, the Team USA hero of Beijing 2008 when he cracked the French challenge to snatch gold from the jaws of defeat in the 4x100m freestyle and keep outer-orbiter Phelps on target for a record eight golds, is now general manager of the Condors. Looking back over his shoulder at last weekend, he said:

“It was interesting to see how it was going to play out for the athletes who had to do multiple events, and the strategy for the coaches of how many events to put them in. I think most of the teams did really well and they learned the first couple of sessions when athletes started getting tired. As the series progresses, I think we’re going to keep learning, and keep making changes to those lineups, and you’re going to see a lot of really, really good swimming.”

Dressel is the new sprint king on the blocks, while Manaudou, with 50m gold in 2012, has 2016 and silver to look back on and know that age is no barrier. Rio gold went to Anthony Ervin, at 35 the oldest Olympic swimming champion in history, 16 years after he shared the ultimate Olympic prize with U.S. teammate Gary Hall Jr. All those generations raced at a time of Phelps and a simple message they gone some way to rubber-stamping: “No limits”.

Pellegrini is another case in point. She claimed Olympic silver at Athens 2004 – yes, over 200m freestyle, ahead of gold four years on at Beijing 2008, the year before Rome honoured the empress of waves. Imagine then what we might have though had someone suggested that eight years on she would take on a swimmer who of the might and scope of Meyer to Shane Gould to Evans at the height of her powers – and win; and, in 2017, become the only woman to beat Katie Ledecky when it truly counted since the American started to build one of the greatest swim careers in history.

In 2017, there were two highlights for Pellegrini: she claimed the 200m World title anew at a time when Ledecky was 200, 400, 800m Olympic champion and 200, 400, 800 and 1500m World champion (and enduring that kind of schedule once more, fair to point out).

And then there was the original test event for the League and the Energy for Swim charity event in front of a packed and roaring crowd on a balmy night back at Pellegrini’s beloved Foro Italico.

Recalling the roar at the Foro in 2009, Pellegrini said:

“It will be amazing. We are ready to fight.”

They will need to: fourth in Indianapolis behind Energy Standard and Cali Condors out front and a touch or two adrift DC Trident, the Centurions have their work cut out if they’re going to make the cut of four multi-national teams that will make it to Las Vegas, two based in Europe, two in the U.S.

The weekend after this, London Roar and Team Iron will join the fray from Europe, with Australians and others bringing the fight to the NY Breakers and LA Current, all racing on teams with with erstwhile rivals who will become the competition once more upon return to traditional championship waters and at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games next July.

Teething Problems & ‘Transporting Emotions’

Photo Courtesy: isl.global

Today, ISL founder, funder and president Konstantin Grigorishin joined a panel discussion on sport and social health in Naples.

“Sports are very important in daily life. People learn basic values like friendship and respect in sports, its main objective is unity”, Grigorishin said, explaining that it was a pool at his school, that changed his life for the better when he was a young boy: “I fell in love with swimming and I still love it. This is what we want to do with this.”

Grigorishin was not able to attend the first meet in Indianapolis in person, but he liked what he saw on tv even though he acknowledged some bumps. He said:

“I anticipated some mistakes, this is the first time. And we did make some mistakes. But we will fix them. I am happy that we are on the right track. What I liked: The swimmers are happy, the dynamic of the competition is very good. The main thing that we wanted to do is transport emotions.”

That was not so hard to do: swimming, so long unchanged in basic shape form and format, has been awaiting this moment like a desert seed thirsts for rain.

The challenge now is whether the ISL and all its parts, including the athletes, can master the art of debrief and turn the green shoots of a swimming spring into a harvest that can fuel not just the athletes but the sport up the professional ranks to recognition beyond its own bath.

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