International Swimming League

There are many sports in the Olympics today, all with very unique and interesting ways to win gold for your country. Most of these sports are there because they do not have a professional league. But this year, one of the Olympic sports finally got their own professional league, a sport that is very popular in the Olympics, and some would argue the most watched sport in the event. This sport is none other than swimming.

Swimming wasn’t always popular in the Olympics, though, until Mike Spitz, one of the first swimmers to catch some public response, came to play. Spitz performed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Germany. However, after Mike Spitz, swimming started to lose the public attention once again. But then a new contender arose, a household name that everyone in America. With a total of 28 Olympic medals, the most decorated Olympian of all time Michael Phelps entered the history books. Once Phelps caught the public’s eye in the Athens 2004 Olympics at the stunning age of 15, swimming became the sport of the Olympics.

But even after all of the success with swimming and the mass public during the Olympics, the hopes of there ever being a professional league for swimmers was non-existent. That is, until 2019, when Konstantin Grigorishin, a Ukrainian businessman, financed the first ever professional swim league: The International Swimming League (ISL). Though the league is almost done with the first season, it has not received much media attention. When Mr.Grigorishin was asked about this he stated that though the league hasn’t been much attention or featured sponsor logos, he has seen enough of strong ticket sales, impressive performances and an electric atmosphere around the pool deck to, quote, “know there is a place for a professional swimming league.”
Even though, as of right now, looking at the league from a glance, people may think it will not last long, Mr.Grigorishin set up the season in a very clever way. With the 2020 Summer Olympics upon us, the public will be excited to watch their favorite swimmers bring home the gold for their countries, and right after the Olympics are over the ISL season begins, which Mr.Grigorishin believes will bring in an audience ( of more than just swimmers) thirsty for more action in the pool
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The ISL currently has a total of eight teams, four in America and four in Europe. Each team is allowed 12 male swimmers and 12 female swimmers, giving a total of 192 swimmers in the entire league.The teams are as follows, D.C. Tridents, NY Breaker, Aqua Centurions, Cali Condors, Iron, Energy Standard, London Roar, and the LA Current. For more info visit https://isl.global/.