ISL - Swimming, Reimagined

The world's best swimmers compete in a team-based format built for the crowd, not the clock

What Is The ISL

The International Swimming League is the new chapter in the sport! By reimagining what competitive swimming should look like, the ISL has built something the sport had never seen before: fast, ferociously competitive, team-based racing designed for fans, built for broadcast, and made to deliver unforgettable moments. ISL gave the biggest names in swimming what elite athletes in other premier sports already had - a consistent stage to showcase their talent. Real prize money. Team pride. High stakes on every single length, where the clock is far from the only thing that matters.

Vision

ISL was founded with a bold vision: to unlock the global potential of swimming and establish it as a premier professional sports property.

With more than 500 million engaged people in swimming activities worldwide, it is one of the world’s most popular sports, yet it has lacked a sustainable global platform to showcase athletes, engage fans year-round, and create lasting commercial value.

ISL is changing this by combining elite competition, innovative formats, world-class production, and global media distribution to create a modern sports and entertainment experience.

Beyond the competition, ISL is building a scalable global ecosystem that connects athletes, fans, cities, broadcasters, and commercial partners. Through innovation, storytelling, excellence and old-fashioned fun, ISL is redefining how swimming is experienced and celebrated worldwide.

ISL is giving the sport the stage it deserves.

ISL Story

Across three unforgettable seasons between 2019 and 2021, the ISL lit up three continents with competing franchise clubs from North America, Europe and Asia, and a roster stacked with the greatest swimmers on the planet. Dynamic matches crackled with intensity. Point scoring turned every race into a battle between the clubs. Coaches devised surprising strategies to maximise points for their clubs. Fierce rivalries, dramatic showdowns and high stakes put everything on the line. The ISL didn't just prove swimming could be entertaining — it proved it could be electric.

Energy Standard athletes cheering poolside at an ISL match

ISL Timeline

2019
The Launch Season
The world’s best swimmers were split across eight clubs, competing in a team-based format completely new to the swimming community. Eight matches were held across the United States and Europe.
2020
The Bubble Season
The ISL was the first major global competition to return amid the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding the number of clubs to ten. Thirteen matches were held across five weeks in a safety bubble at the Duna Arena in Budapest.
2021
The Evidence Season
The league proved it had a growing and increasingly engaged audience. Eighteen matches were held across three months, with the Regular Season in Naples, Italy, and the Playoffs in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
2026
The Next Chapter
After a long hiatus, the ISL returns with a statement: a never-before-seen All-Star match featuring the world’s best swimmers competing in a new, updated format — even faster, even more dramatic, even more fun!

WHAT THE LEAGUE STANDS FOR

ATHLETE FIRST

Putting athletes at the centre by giving the world’s best swimmers a platform to perform, build their personal brands and unlock business opportunities beyond the pool.

TEAM ENERGY

Individual brilliance. Team strategy. Every race matters and every point scored can change the outcome.

SPORTING INNOVATION

Drama. Strategy. Unpredictability. A fast-paced format built to elevate the sport, designed for television and created to entertain and emotionally connect fans, athletes and partners.

GLOBAL CONNECTION

Clubs across continents. Athletes from over 50 nationalities. One global league connecting the world through swimming and turning that reach into audience, engagement and value.

COMPETITIVE INTEGRITY

Governed with integrity, built on fair competition and clear rules. Every race is real. Every point counts. Every result matters. Excellence defines victory.

Leadership Team

Konstantin Grigorishin

Founder

Konstantin, born in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, built a strong scientific foundation studying physics and mathematics at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. He began his career researching light propagation at the Institute of Spectroscopy of the USSR Academy of Sciences before pursuing a career in business and industry in Ukraine, becoming a prominent industrialist focused on energy and infrastructure in the country.

He later channelled his leadership skills into sport, founding the Energy Standard Swimming Club in 2012 and later becoming a key patron of the Ukrainian Swimming Federation. In 2018, he launched the International Swimming League (ISL), a pioneering global organisation featuring athletes from over 50 countries across six continents, known for its innovative team-based format and commitment to fairness and equality in competitive swimming.

Beyond his sporting ventures, Grigorishin is a dedicated philanthropist who supports initiatives in arts, education, and science, driven by a strong belief in fairness and social responsibility. In 2020, he furthered this mission by establishing the International Institute of Political Philosophy. Today, he remains a prominent figure in both international business and sport, recognised for his talent in spotting opportunities and transforming vision into tangible impact.

Ben Allen

Commissioner

Ben is a former international swimmer for Hong Kong who also swam competitively for Oxford University. He has been a long-term supporter of the ISL since its inception and became its Commissioner in 2022 as part of his ambition to help positively transform the sport of swimming.

Away from swimming, Ben is a serial entrepreneur, having been both an acquired founder and a partner in several successful ventures spanning technology and the metaverse through to supporting industrialisation in the developing world.

Arkadiy Voropaev

Creative Director

Arkadiy has been professionally involved in the sport of swimming for over 20 years, both as an athlete and a coach. He has been with the ISL since its foundation and was part of the original ISL team that delivered the first-ever league season in 2019, where his responsibilities also included overseeing all aspects of social media strategy.

Arkadiy heads up the design and creative function at ISL, directing and managing areas such as the creation and implementation of the organisation’s branding and digital graphics, arena design, music and sound production, and the overall ambience of ISL events.

Mario Medeiros

Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer

Mario Medeiros is a Brazilian-Swiss strategy and business development executive with 20 years of international experience in sports marketing and revenue generation, having contributed to more than USD 400 million in commercial partnerships. His career includes senior commercial roles across leading international sports and global organisations. Mario joined ISL in April 2026 and leads the organisation’s business strategy and commercial development.

A former competitive swimmer, Mario holds a degree in Communications and a Master’s in Sports Administration and Management. He has also completed executive education at Harvard Business School, UN Tourism and the International Red Cross. Fluent in five languages, he combines global commercial expertise with a lifelong connection to sport and swimming.