How do I know if my swimmer made a cut?

A cut is an official time standard for a meet or a motivational level (B, BB, A, AA). Compare the race time, in the same course, to the published standard. Gophin Compare Standards does that automatically after you sign in.

Can I check cuts without a spreadsheet?

Yes. Sign in to Gophin, search the swimmer, open Compare, then Standards. Pick the organization (USA Swimming, Swimming Canada, or a provincial/LSC set). Each event shows ahead or behind, with the gap in seconds.

Do I need to type in the time?

No. Official meet results sync into Gophin. You search the swimmer by the name on the official record. New meets update the gaps on their own.

Is Compare Standards free?

Yes. Gophin is free for everyone, including Compare Standards across 38+ organizations. You do need to create an account and sign in. No card is required.

App Tutorials

How to Check If You Made a Swim Time Cut

By Fabio Verschoor•11 Sep 2026•6 min

Quick answer

A cut is an official time for a meet or a motivational level (B, BB, A, AA). Match the course, then compare. Sign in to Gophin (free), open Compare then Standards, pick the organization, and read the gap in seconds. You do not type times in.

The heat sheet says 1:02.19. Someone in the stands asks, "Did she make it?" Make what? B? AA? Sectionals? Juniors? Without the matching standard and the matching course, the number is just a number.

You can look it up in a PDF. Or you can sign in and let Gophin line every best time against the set you care about.

Sign in and check your cuts

What "made the cut" actually means

Motivational cuts (B through AAAA in USA Swimming, B through AAA in Swimming Canada) mark a level. Championship cuts (Sectionals, Futures, Junior Nationals, Age Group Nationals) decide who can enter a named meet. Both live in Gophin. Our USA Swimming time standards guide explains the ladder.

Always match course. A 100 Free SCY does not prove an LCM cut. Convert only as an estimate, then wait for a swim in the right pool.

Check a cut in Gophin, step by step

Sign in at gophin.app. Create a free account if you do not have one. No card.
Find the swimmer under Times, Best Times. Search the legal name used in official records.
Open Compare, then Standards. Pick the swimmer and one standards set (USA Swimming motivational, Junior Nationals, a provincial or LSC championship, Swimming Canada).
Read the header. It counts how many events sit ahead of the cut and how many sit behind.
Scan the rows. Each event shows the best time, the standard, and the gap in seconds. Green means the cut is already there.

Gophin Compare Standards on mobile showing events ahead of and behind a qualifying cut

Need the longer walkthrough with every filter? Use the Compare Standards tutorial . For in-app help, see the Compare Standards wiki guide .

If the name does not appear

Try the name as it is printed on the heat sheet, not a nickname. If the swimmer has not raced a sanctioned meet yet, there is no official time to compare. After the first uploaded meet, the profile shows up on its own.

The Bottom Line

Made the cut means the official time, in that course, is at least as fast as the published standard. Sign in to Gophin, open Compare Standards, and stop flipping through PDFs on the pool deck.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my swimmer made a cut?
A cut is an official time standard for a meet or a motivational level (B, BB, A, AA). Compare the race time, in the same course, to the published standard. Gophin Compare Standards does that automatically after you sign in.
Can I check cuts without a spreadsheet?
Yes. Sign in to Gophin, search the swimmer, open Compare, then Standards. Pick the organization (USA Swimming, Swimming Canada, or a provincial/LSC set). Each event shows ahead or behind, with the gap in seconds.
Do I need to type in the time?
No. Official meet results sync into Gophin. You search the swimmer by the name on the official record. New meets update the gaps on their own.
Is Compare Standards free?
Yes. Gophin is free for everyone, including Compare Standards across 38+ organizations. You do need to create an account and sign in. No card is required.

Fabio Verschoor

Founder & CEO, Gophin

Swim dad, computer scientist, and serial entrepreneur. When my daughter dove into competitive swimming, I combined my passion for sports and technology to build Gophin — so every family can track performance with clarity.

See your standards

Sign in and compare times against 38+ official standards. Free for everyone. No card needed.