Swimming World September 2021 Presents – Special Sets with Nation’s Capital Swim Club’s Erin Gemmell

Swimming World September 2021 Presents - Special Sets with Erin Gemmell

Erin Gemmell [PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK]

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What Coaches Wish Prospects Knew About Recruiting

By Michael J. Stott

Bruce Gemmell of Nation’s Capital Swim Club provides an interesting capsule of coaching for his 16-year-old daughter, Erin, as she prepared for her ﬁrst U.S. Olympic Trials experience and earned a spot on the U.S. Junior team headed for the Berlin and Budapest World Cup stops in October.

I first saw Erin Gemmell in March 2018 when she blitzed the field, setting meet records for the 50 and 100 yard freestyles (23.86, 51.99) at a middle school championship meet. That August, she won the 200 meter free at junior nationals (2:00.74) and finaled in the 50 (8th-26.14) and 100 (6th-56.72/56.62 prelims).

A year later, at age 14, she lowered her middle school time in the 100 to 50.93 and clocked 1:48.13 in the 200 yard free. At Junior Worlds, she earned two gold medals as a member of the prelim-and-final 800 free relay quartets plus the prelims-only 400 free relay, which her father and primary coach, Bruce Gemmell, of Nation’s Capital Swim Club, labeled, “A good experience.”

To infinity and beyond? For sure, she is following a trail blazed by her Olympic team brother, Andrew. Also, both her mom (Barbara Harris) and dad were two-time U.S. Olympic Trials qualifiers. And Bruce has remained in Olympic conversation, among other reasons, for being one of the architects of Katie Ledecky’s otherworldly career.

TRAINING INTERRUPTED
For the most part, COVID-19 wiped out most 2020 long course season training. “The resumption of COVID 2020-21 organized workouts was primarily done short course meters outdoors through the winter due to pool access,” says Coach Gemmell. “We had a few long course workouts leading up to Trials, but not many. Any of those Erin did were primarily focused on race pace and ‘feel’ for her 200 and 400 free events. Training was eight practices per week, two of which were 90 minutes. Almost all dryland strength/conditioning was done virtually by Zoom up until about March,” he says.

A WORK IN PROGRESS
The regimen worked as Gemmell became the first female swimmer to qualify for U.S. Olympic Trials in the 50-100-200-400-800-1500 free and 200 IM. At Wave II Trials, the 16-year-old posted times for the 50 through 800 of 25.81 (tie for 33rd), 56.20 (39th), 1:58.67 (9th), 4:11.57 (11th) and 8:50.05 (31st). Her reward: a spot on the U.S. Junior team headed for the Berlin and Budapest World Cup stops in October.

Going forward, autumn/winter training will be aimed at U.S. World Championship Trials in April 2022. “In our evergreen world, USAS has since announced the December U.S. Open will be swum long course. We will attend that as ‘prep’ for April Trials along with a Pro Series Meet or two in January-February-March,” he says.

To access the complete special sets routine with Erin Gemmell,
Click here to download the full issue of Swimming World September 2021 – available now!

Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach, golf and swimming writer. His critically acclaimed coming-of-age golf novel, “Too Much Loft,” was published in June 2021, and is available from Bookbaby.com, Amazon, B&N and book distributors worldwide.

[PHOTO BY ROB SCHUMACHER / USA Today Sports]

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FEATURES

2020 TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES
by John Lohn, Dan D’Addona,
Matthew De George and David Rieder

010 | LIKE NO OTHER
There has never been an Olympics like the one held in Tokyo from July 23 through Aug. 8. Even the Games themselves were known as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games despite the fact that the actual event was held a year later! Yet, once the competition got started—at venues without any spectators—the XXXII Olympiad provided all of the anticipated emotions, surprises, goal fulfillments and more.

014 | MALE PERFORMANCE OF THE MEET: Caeleb Dressel (100 Fly)

014 | FEMALE PERFORMANCE OF THE MEET: Tatjana Schoenmaker (200 Breast)

015 | BEST WOMEN’S RELAY PERFORMANCE: Australia (400 Freestyle Relay)

016 | BEST MEN’S RELAY PERFORMANCE: USA (400 Medley Relay)

017 | BEST INDIVIDUAL RELAY PERFORMANCE: Adam Peaty (100 Breast/400 Medley Relay)

018 | BIGGEST UPSET/SURPRISE: Ahmed Hafnaoui (400 Free) & Lydia Jacoby (100 Breast)

019 | BREAKOUT PERFORMER: Bobby Finke (800 and 1500 Free)

020 | COUNTRY ON THE RISE: Italy

021 | RESILIENCE AWARD: Sarah Sjostrom (50 Free)

022 | OLYMPIC PHOTO GALLERY

027 | RETURN TO NO. 1
by David Rieder
After a two-season absence as Swimming World’s girls’ high school national champions, Carmel High School (Ind.) has returned to claim its seventh overall team title since 2011.

029 | SWIMMING WORLD MAGAZINE’S GIRLS’ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOCK HEAT SHEET
by Bob Klapthor

031 | MAKING HISTORY
by Dan D’Addona
Carmel High School (Ind.) is the first school in 21 years to have both its girls’ and boys’ swimming teams win Swimming World’s national high school championships in the same year—a feat last accomplished by Bolles (Fla.) in 2000.

033 | SWIMMING WORLD MAGAZINE’S BOYS’ NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MOCK HEAT SHEET
by Bob Klapthor

COACHING

038 | WHAT COACHES WISH PROSPECTS KNEW ABOUT RECRUITING
by Michael J. Stott
When it comes to college recruiting, swim coaches agree: they’re looking at much more than swimming times. They’re evaluating the whole package: academic, athletic, personal… and more!

041 | SPECIAL SETS: ERIN GEMMELL—OLYMPIC BLOODLINES
by Michael J. Stott
Bruce Gemmell of Nation’s Capital Swim Club provides an interesting capsule of coaching for his 16-year-old daughter, Erin, as she prepared for her first U.S. Olympic Trials experience and earned a spot on the U.S. Junior team headed for the Berlin and Budapest World Cup stops in October.

043 | Q&A WITH COACH JEFF JULIAN
by Michael J. Stott

044 | HOW THEY TRAIN TRENTON JULIAN
by Michael J. Stott

TRAINING

037 | DRYSIDE TRAINING: GOLD MEDAL WORKOUT (PART 2)
by J.R. Rosania

JUNIOR SWIMMER

047 | UP & COMERS: HENRY WEBB
by Shoshanna Rutemiller

COLUMNS

008 | A VOICE FOR THE SPORT

040 | THE OFFICIAL WORD

046 | HASTY HIGH POINTERS

048 | GUTTERTALK

049 | PARTING SHOT

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