2022 JUNIOR PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- August 24-27, 2022
- Mark Takai Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center
- Honolulu, Hawaii (Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time)
- Prelims 9:00 AM / Finals 5:00 PM (GMT-10)
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Streaming
Erin Gemmell just keeps rolling through the fourth session of the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships. The 17 year-old, who’s known a bit more for her mid/distance prowess, captured the Junior Pan Pac title tonight in record-setting fashion.
Not only did her winning time of 54.13 take down the meet record of 54.42 she established this morning (which broke Gretchen Walsh’s 54.47 meet record from 2018), but that time moved her up to #6 all-time among US swimmers in the 17-18 age group.
All-Time Rankings, US 17-18 Age Group:
- Simone Manuel, 53.24 – 2014
- Missy Franklin, 53.36 – 2013
- Torri Huske, 53.46 – 2021
- Claire Curzan, 53.58 – 2022
- Katie Ledecky, 53.75 – 2016
- Erin Gemmell, 54.13 – 2022
- Lia Neal, 54.14 – 2012
- Katie Hoff, 54.28 – 2008
- Gretchen Walsh, 54.37 – 2020
- Kara Lynn Joyce, 54.38 – 2004
Gemmell’s previous best time before today, 54.62, had her ranked as the 14th-fastest American woman in the age group. The list of who she vaulted ahead today reads like a Who’s-Who of some of the best American women of the last two decades. Besides the names above, Gemmell also moved ahead of Abbey Weitzeil (54.38), Natalie Coughlin (54.40), Amanda Weir (54.46) and Mallory Comerford (54.46) today.
Tonight’s 100 free win was Gemmell’s second individual victory of the meet after she won the 200 free last night, also in meet record fashion. She’s entered in the 400 free (where she’s the top seed), 200 IM, and 50 free the rest of the week.
Gemmell looks poised to make a major US international team sooner rather than later. She’s been 1:56 multiple times this summer in the 200 free, which would’ve gotten her an individual swim at Worlds this year. Her 100 free time tonight would’ve finished 7th at the US Trials in April, just 0.04s from earning a spot on the US 4×100 team.
It’s a pleasure to watch the progress of this young girl. She didn’t have such impressive start as Claire Tuggle had with her NAG records. And being in shadow of Claire there weren’t much super expectations about Erin’s future. Even at Trials this year she was still nobody who maybe only with years become something to talk about. And then just in a few months everything changed dramatically.
Today’s 54.13 is a prerequisite required to be an 1:54 swimmer at 200 distance. That’s very good!
It’s true that when sprint competition moved into 51sec zone the 54.13 looks pedestrian. But it is actually fast. Not that long time ago 53.36 of Missy Franklin made her the fastest ever… Read more »