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Erin Gemmell Breaks Down 1:54 Split, Training with her Dad, and Making Paris 2024

In the SwimSwam Podcast dive deeper into the sport you love with insider conversations about swimming. Hosted by Coleman HodgesGarrett McCaffrey, and Gold Medal Mel Stewart, SwimSwam welcomes both the biggest names in swimming that you already know, and rising stars that you need to get to know, as we break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.

We sat down with 6x 2022 Jr Pan Pacific Champion, Erin Gemmell, to discuss her whirlwind summer. Gemmell started things at the 2022 US Trials with the goal of making the world champs team. After getting sick just weeks before the meet, she placed 7th in the 200 free final, just missing out on her first senior international team.
She then changed tracks and decided to focus on Jr Pan Pacific Championships, with stops at the Mare Nostrum Tour and US Nationals in Irvine in between. Gemmell discusses all these meets and how she was able to have success at them, highlighted by a 1:54.8 split on the 800 free relay (one of the fastest worldwide). 
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Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.

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Meathead
2 years ago

What athlete doesn’t want to swim for their parent, kinda the dream, right?

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

While Erin Gemmell (DOB 12/02/2004) has dropped 6.50 seconds in the women’s 400 meter freestyle since the 2021 USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials, Katie Grimes (DOB 01/08/2006) has dropped 7.32 seconds in the women’s 400 meter freestyle since the 2021 USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials.

MCH
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

Congratulations to both of them. That’s terrific. Too bad ledecky hasn’t done the same (sarcasm).

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  MCH
2 years ago

The issue is whether Leah Smith will qualify for the women’s 400 meter freestyle at the 2023 USA Swimming International Team Trials versus fast rising teenagers.

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

It will be interesting too see if Erin Gemmell (PB 4:05.07) surpasses Leah Smith in the women’s 400 meter freestyle at the 2023 USA Swimming International Team Trials.

Caleb
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

Sims and perhaps Grimes would seem to have the inside track… Smith, maybe Madden, maybe Weinstein with a shot.

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Caleb
2 years ago

The women’s 400 meter freestyle at the 2023 USA Swimming International Team Trials wiil be a classic case of whether the old guard (Leah Smith) can fend off a slew of rising teenagers.

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Caleb
2 years ago

Speaking of Weinstein, I would love to see Claire push the 15-16 national age group record in the women’s 200 meter freestyle (Franklin 1:55.06) at the 2023 USA Swimming International Team Trials.

Yozhik
2 years ago

Nice and easy not pretentious sincere interview on both sides. Love this talk.
I like the steadiness in Erin’s progress. Maybe it is just an illusion that she was slow with that because for long period of time she was in a shadow of Claire Tuggle’s impressive NAG records. But this girl who doesn’t have at first sight strong athletic appearance is showing unstop progress that has reached already the level that couldn’t be ignored in any adult competition. 1:54 relay split is the most noticeable achievement this season but I am more happy for her progress in 100Fr. This sprinting abilities is a strong foundation and the best prove that 1:54 isn’t a fluke.
At the same… Read more »

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  Yozhik
2 years ago

What the heck are you talking about? Since when has Claire Tuggle been the gold standard of the women’s 200 meter freestyle or the women’s 400 meter freestyle? Claire Tuggle does NOT own the 15-16 national age group record or the 17-18 national age group record in the women’s 200 meter freestyle. Claire Tuggle does NOT own the 15-16 national age group record or the 17-18 national age group record in the women’s 400 meter freestyle. Who are you crappin’?

Awsi Dooger
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

Maybe he meant Claire Curzan

IMO
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
2 years ago

Curzan doesn’t really swim LC 200 free, and certainly doesn’t do the 400. Let her do her thing in the sprints, she’s quite good at them.

People in the US always seem to want someone to be the next MP, going for an insane number of events, when that is not at all in the best interest of the swimmer.

NMQ
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
2 years ago

Tuggle owns the 11-12 NAG and also is the fastest 13yo in the 200, at least at the time both swam at that age. So I guess he means that.

anonymous
Reply to  Yozhik
2 years ago

Glad to see she has matured from her younger years – both in swimming and communication

IMO
Reply to  Yozhik
2 years ago

What kind of math are you using? Gemmell’s 1:54.8 split is 1.3 seconds faster than her flat start time. Even if her relay exchange was 0.0 (which it clearly was not on the video), her average flat start reaction time is around 0.7, making that relay swim at least 0.6 seconds faster than her flat start swim.

Yozhik
Reply to  IMO
2 years ago

Whatever I’ve seen of her races this summer her reaction time was 0.8+ with only one exception 0.78 or 0.79. And a relay swimmer not only has earlier start but she does it with the strong moving impulse. And that makes a big difference. In individual race before start all your muscles doing one job only: preventing any movement. When a swimmer takes a start in relay it is quite a opposite situation. Good comparison is high jump: quite a different results with jumping from stand-still position and jumping after running. What can possibly horizontal speed add to high jump? But it does synchronization of all muscles in the body. So all parts of your body are moving up synchronously… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Yozhik
Dressel GOAT
2 years ago

Off topic, but other news that Swimswam might have missed:

  • Siobhan Haughey is back training with Bottom according to Michigan’s IG.
  • Tomoe Hvas retired from swimming according to his swimming club’s IG.
Last edited 2 years ago by Dressel GOAT
joe
Reply to  Dressel GOAT
2 years ago

Hvas retiring is kind of shocking. Was looking forward to seeing how he developed.

MCH
2 years ago

Missed question. Will she go to UT fall of ‘23 or wait until fall ‘24?

Steve Nolan
2 years ago

I’m usually not one for feedback but you gotta ask what was so sketchy about Mare Nostrum!!

Mike
Reply to  Steve Nolan
2 years ago

Sounded like she just was talking about having less complete control of her time table. Prelims length, ground transportation etc. Just more unknowns than she is used to.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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