Pro swim league to debut in US, Europe

A new professional league for elite swimmers will debut this year with U.S. and foreign-based teams competing in a mixed gender format with athletes being paid.

Five-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky will compete for one of the International Swimming League’s eight teams – four based in the U.S. and four in Europe.

The league said Tuesday that the season will begin Oct. 4-5, with meets held nearly every weekend through Nov. 24. The top four teams will compete in the finals in Las Vegas on Dec. 20-21.

The U.S. will be represented by: the New York Breakers, the Los Angeles Current, the DC Trident, and the Cali Condors based in San Francisco.

The European teams will be based in London, Rome, Budapest and likely France.

(AP)