Is the International Swimming League what the sport needs?
For a sport that boasts some of the highest participation levels around the world, swimming’s attempt to claim their part of the sporting market has been abysmal.
Although swimming pulls in huge viewership figures during the Olympic Games and FINA World Championships, very little has been done to fill the void between major competitions.
The arrival of the International Swimming League (ISL) has been long overdue, and its success could earn the sport the annual recognition it deserves.
The ISL finishes for 2019 in Las Vegas this weekend, with four teams having qualified, including London Roar.
Although still a work in progress, this seasons’ six meets have given a glimpse into what the future of swimming may look like and how the ISL’s format could benefit swimmers, fans and sponsors alike.
The biggest change that ISL has brought to swimming is the idea that swimming need not be an individual sport.
People, be them fans or sponsors, find it much easier to buy into a team.
David Beckham may have brought some new fans to United, but you can be sure they didn’t jump ship to LA Galaxy when he ventured across the pond.
A team structure provides longevity, which Cate Campbell supports: “It gives audiences an opportunity to get behind a team, which is something that we have not had an opportunity to do as swimmers.
“Most people will buy into a team because it has a group of athletes they like, but hopefully they’ll continue to follow through even after those athletes have moved on,” added Campbell ahead of the London meet in November.
The ISL’s aim to make swimming more viewer friendly could aid support further, if they can manage to make events enjoyable for both live and television audiences.
Similar to T20 Cricket, the league is trying to get people to competitions and to experience how exciting swimming can be, but the television coverage must act as the gateway drug.
The biggest question currently surrounding the ISL is how it will fit into the existing swimming calendar.
While it seemed like a risky move for swimmers to add extra competitions to their schedules in the run up to an Olympic year, this only seems to be a problem from the outside looking in, going by Katinka Hosszú.
“I’m happy that a lot of swimmers have to swim a lot of races now. I think swimming is going to be much faster than it has ever been. When they see that they can [compete in more races], their fitness will be higher, and they are going to push swimming to a higher level” said Hosszú.
If the athletes believe that more competition will lead to a better standard, who are we to argue?
While its’ first year has not been without fault, the promise which the ISL represents is immense.
The league has come into a sport which had become too comfortable with the way things were and providing exactly what the sport needs: more swimming.
