Archives · Season 3
2021
The League proves it has a growing audience that is becoming increasingly more engaged. 18 matches held across 3 months, with the Regular Season being held in Naples, Italy, and the Playoff at Eindhoven, Netherlands
Champions Energy Standard
18 matches · 10 clubs · 312 athletes
Synopsis
By its third season, the ISL had cemented its place as a fixture on the global sporting calendar, eagerly followed by athletes and broadcasters alike. The 2021 edition took on an ambitious European tour, opening in Naples, Italy, for the regular season, before shifting to Eindhoven, Netherlands, for the playoffs and grand final. The competitive storyline of the season became a fierce three-way battle between the Cali Condors, Energy Standard, and London Roar, featuring defending MVP Caeleb Dressel, a resurgent Sarah Sjöström, returning from an elbow injury, Daiya Seto, and Siobhan Haughey.
Regular Season
The Naples leg comprised ten standard qualification matches plus an unpredictable wild card match to determine postseason places. NY Breakers and Tokyo Frog Kings both fell short and were eliminated. Tokyo's Daiya Seto put on a masterclass across medley and breaststroke events to claim overall Regular Season MVP, while Siobhan Haughey showed unmatched range in the mid-distance freestyle events.
| Rank | Club |
|---|---|
| 1 | Energy Standard |
| 2 | Cali Condors |
| 3 | London Roar |
| 4 | Toronto Titans |
| 5 | LA Current |
| 6 | Aqua Centurions |
| 7 | DC Trident |
| 8 | Iron |
| 9 | NY Breakers |
| 10 | Tokyo Frog Kings |
Playoff
Moving to Eindhoven, the playoffs saw eight surviving clubs battle through six high intensity matches to whittle down the championship field. Toronto Titans, Aqua Centurions, Iron, and DC Trident were all eliminated. The round produced one of the most explosive individual moments in ISL history: Cali Condors' Coleman Stewart shattered the 100m backstroke world record in 48.33 seconds, achieved through an aggressive underwater kicking strategy. He finished more than two full seconds ahead of the field, triggering the unprecedented maximum "Full Jackpot", stealing points from all seven of his competitors and single-handedly banking a 37-point haul for his team.
| Rank | Club |
|---|---|
| 1 | Energy Standard |
| 2 | Cali Condors |
| 3 | London Roar |
| 4 | LA Current |
| 5 | Toronto Titans |
| 6 | Aqua Centurions |
| 7 | DC Trident |
| 8 | Iron |
Final
The Eindhoven decider saw Energy Standard bounce back to reclaim the ISL title with 534 points, narrowly holding off Cali Condors. The final was made unforgettable by Siobhan Haughey, who broke the long-standing short-course world record in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:50.31. Sarah Sjöström, meanwhile, dominated the finals' skins matches to help seal the title and claim Finals MVP, cementing her place in ISL history as the only swimmer to win Season MVP in all three seasons.
| Rank | Club | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy Standard | 534 |
| 2 | Cali Condors | 522 |
| 3 | London Roar | 393.5 |
| 4 | LA Current | 305.5 |