A rapid start from Freya Anderson and Duncan Scott helped London Roar on their way to a second successive International Swimming League (ISL) victory at the start of their 2020 season.
After an emphatic win in their opening outing, things were much tighter for the Brit-heavy outfit this time around following day one of match five.
But Anderson and Scott both turned in solid performances across the 100m and 200m Freestyle races to kick off Saturday’s action at the Duna Arena and ensure Roar kept building on foundations that would ultimately lead them to a close overall triumph at the expense of LA Current and Tokyo Frog Kings.
First up, Anderson – who trains under David McNulty at the Bath National Centre – kicked on from an eye-catching bow the day before to finish strong in the Women’s 100m Freestyle, with her second 50m ensuring she touched only narrowly behind the in-form Beryl Gastaldello.
Moments later, it was Scott’s turn to produce a brilliant back end in the men’s event, with his second 50m the fastest of the field. Both of the 2019 World Championship winners earned seven points for those efforts – and they picked up that same tally again by finishing second in the 200m Freestyle category soon after.
Anderson’s result was courtesy of an astounding sub-28 second final two lengths, while Scott was in contention for victory in the men’s event into the final five metres.
On the individual front, there were also valuable results for London from Adam Peaty and Aimee Willmott later in the session.
Peaty, a victor in the Men’s 50m Breaststroke on Friday, placed second in the 100m category, before Willmott replicated her result in the Women’s 400m Individual Medley from Roar’s opening match by finishing third. She also came third in the 400m Freestyle on Friday, making it a successful couple of days for the versatile University of Stirling athlete.
British influence was on show in the relays again, as it had been the day before.
One of London’s Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay quartets contained three home-grown athletes.
Scott and Anderson again played their parts, before Anna Hopkin anchored them home to yet another second place, a result that kept their rivals at bay in an intriguing match.
A dramatic skins finale ultimately saw Roar finish as overall winners with 499 points, ahead of LA Current (487.5) in second, the third-placed Tokyo Frog Kings (446.5) and DC Trident (287) in fourth.
The ISL season continues apace over the next two days (1st and 2nd November), with plenty more British involvement across the Energy Standard, New York Breakers, Aqua Centurions and Toronto Titans squads.