Consistency and excellence were the keys all season long for Sarah Sjostrom, whose epic curtain call in the Grand Finale earns her the inaugural International Swimming League Season MVP award.
Sjostrom, the female captain of Energy Standard, led the league in points for the season with 243.5, edging out Cali Condor Caeleb Dressel by a mere 3.5. Going into her final event of the season, the three-round 50 freestyle elimination skins, a win would seal her the victory and the $50,000 USD prize.
With all of the pressure on, she delivered, beating out London’s Cate Campbell by well over a second. Had Sjostrom fallen short in the skins, Dressel would’ve won the award.
Sjostrom was the league’s first-ever MVP recipient at the inaugural match in Indianapolis, and then placed second in the points race three consecutive times to earn her Season MVP. In total, the Swede won 12 individual events over the course of the season.
It was clearly a two-swimmer race for ISL Season MVP, as Sjostrom and Dressel were head and shoulders ahead of their closest competitors.
ISL Season MVP Final Standings
| Rank | Athlete | Club | Point Total |
| 1 | Sarah Sjostrom | Energy Standard | 243.5 |
| 2 | Caeleb Dressel | Cali Condors | 240.0 |
| 3 | Emma McKeon | London Roar | 192.0 |
| 4 | Chad Le Clos | Energy Standard | 190.5 |
| 5 | Olivia Smoliga | Cali Condors | 174.5 |
Not only did Sjostrom’s clutch performance in Vegas’ match-ending skins earn her Season MVP, but it was also crucial in helping her club win the overall title.
“It’s been such an amazing competition, and the main thing has always been to take points for my team, Energy Standard,” Sjostrom said when receiving the award post-match. “It feels great also, the overall MVP title, so I’m very, very happy with this. I’m very proud of my team.
About the ISL: The International Swimming League is a global professional swimming competition launching in 2019 with teams in both Europe (Italy-based Aqua Centurions, France-based Energy Standard, Hungary-based Iron, and London Roar) and the United States (Cali Condors, DC Trident, LA Current, NY Breakers). The inaugural season will include matches in Indianapolis IN, Naples ITA, Lewisville TX, Budapest HUN, College Park MD, London GBR, and the championship finale at the 3,800-seat Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. The ISL aims to create groundbreaking projects, in both form and content, exploring the full potential of competitive swimming while securing sustainable commercial growth in the sport.
Key Dates:
5-6 October 2019 – IU Natatorium, Indianapolis, USA
12-13 October 2019 – Aquatic Swimming Complex, Naples, Italy
19-20 October 2019 – The LISD Westside Aquatic Center, Lewisville, Texas, USA
26-27 October 2019 – Duna Area, Budapest, Hungary
16-17 November 2019 – Natatorium at the Eppley Recreation Center, Maryland, USA
23-24 November 2019 – London Aquatic Centre, Great Britain
20-21 December 2019 – Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, USA
ISL SOCIAL: Keep up with all the latest ISL news by following @iswimleague on Instagram and Twitter and @internationalswimmingleague on Facebook. Visit https://isl.global
Media Contact: James Mulligan ([email protected])
International Swimming League Ltd
Alfred-Escher-Strasse 17, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland
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