Erin Gemmell And Anna Peplowski Tie For 4th In 200 Free With Potential Swim-Off Required

2025 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, June 3 – Saturday, June 7, 2025
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Indiana University Natatorium
• LCM (50 meters)
• World Championship Selection Criteria
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets (Updated 6/02)
• Live Results
• How To Watch (USA Swimming Network)
• Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2
• Finals Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2

WOMEN’S 200 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS  (2024)
• American Record: 1:53.61 – Allison Schmitt (2012)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:54.13 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)
• 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Winner: Katie Ledecky – 1:55.22
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 1:58.23

Results:

1. Claire Weinstein (SAND) – 1:54.92
2. Katie Ledecky (GSC) – 1:55.26
3. Torri Huske (AAC) – 1:55.71
4. Anna Peplowski (ISC)/Erin Gemmell (TXLA) – 1:55.82
5. –
6. Bella Sims (SAND) – 1:57.18
7. Simone Manuel (TXLA) – 1:57.44
8. Isabel Ivey (GSC) – 1:58.05

There was a two-way tie for fourth between Erin Gemmell and Anna Peplowski in the women’s 200 freestyle on Day 2 of the U.S. National Championships, raising questions about a potential swim-off as with Catie Deloof and Erika Connolly (Brown) last year. That was to break a tie for sixth in the 100 freestyle so was in slightly different circumstances, however the selection procedures do not specify an outcome for a tie for fourth in the 100 or 200 freestyle, the final spot in Priority 1 for each event.

The 2025 World Championship Selection Criteria for Priority 1 states:

(a) Priority #1. The first priority includes (i) the four best finishing Available Swimmers based on finish order from the Finals in each of the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles, and (ii) the best finishing Available Swimmer based on finish order from the Finals in each of the Individual Olympic Events other than the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyle. 

Part (i) there is the important one, and does not contain a clause for ties. Previously in ties for 1st we have seen both swimmers taken under Priority 1, such as when Nic Fink and Charlie Swanson tied for top spot in the 200 breaststroke at the 2022 Trials.

We have seen ties cause a potential selection headache this season already, as James Guy and Duncan Scott tied for first at British trials in the 200 free. With Matt Richards pre-selected due to his silver-medal-winning performance in Paris there was only one spot available, but the selection criteria did not outline a procedure for a tie under those circumstances.

4.2) Medallists in an individual event at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be selected for this event for the 2025 World Championship team, subject to confirmation from the GB Head Coach.

4.4) All athletes, on the basis of their performance in the Open Final of an Olympic event at the 2025 British Swimming Championships (15th -20th April 2025) will be selected if they: (i) finish first in an Olympic event; and (ii) record a time that equals or betters the time in Table 1. 

Going by the letter of the GB selection criteria, it is actually only Matt Richard’s spot that is is subject to confirmation by the GB Head Coach. However the distinction between ‘selected’ in 4.4 and ‘selected in this event’ in 4.2 may leave the decision between Scott and Guy up to the coaches discretion.

Team GB are yet to announce the event schedules for each athlete for Fukuoka.

Going back to tonight’s tie, the scenario in which this could become an issue is vanishingly small. That would be that few enough swimmers qualify in multiple events that the US women are able to take all but one Priority 2 swimmer. There is potentially another, where both Torri Huske and Katie Ledecky drop the individual 200 free, but with no real event crossover on Day 4 of Worlds for Huske that seems unlikely to be confirmed before the end of the Championships. If both did, there would be a swim-off required as a straight shootout for who would swim the 200 free individually.

If Ledecky and Huske dropped the event after Saturday, there would be no swim-off and this would instead fall under section 1.3.7 (c)

(c) If circumstances arise after the Qualifying Competition that require a tie to be broken to determine Selection to the Team or who would be given the opportunity to swim an Event at the Championships, the tie will be broken between the Available Swimmers involved based on the fastest time swum in that Event from March 9, 2024 through and including June 7, 2025 in competitions approved for that purposed by AQUA, and at the Qualifying Competition (other than the time involved in the tie at the Qualifying Competition). For example, if the second place finisher at the Qualifying Competition in the 100-meter Butterfly accepted their position on the Team, but later (and before the date that entries are due) withdraws from the Team, and if there had been a twoway tie for third place in that Event, then the Available Swimmer among the two involved in the tie who swam the fastest time from March 9, 2024 through and including June 7, 2025 in competitions approved for that purposed by AQUA, and at the Qualifying Competition (other than the time involved in the tie at the Qualifying Competition) will be considered to have finished in 3rd place. If this fails to break the tie, the tie will be broken by random draw. 

If the scenario outlined above came to fruition, a decision would have to be made on whether a joint-fourth-place in the 200 free fell under Priority 1 for both swimmers, or would need to be broken with one swimmer falling under Priority 1 and the other under Priority 3.

Interestingly, Gemmel was the fifth-place finisher in the 100 freestyle so would fall under Priority 3 there. The scenario outlined above is the only one in which a tie-breaker may be required – if there is a single Priority 3 spot available then both would make the team.

Whilst Katie Ledecky is likely to drop the 200 freestyle as an individual event, as she will remain on the roster in other events the selection policy for the event does not change. This was added in 2024, after an inconsistency involving the two swimmers who tied tonight. Peplowski was added to the 2023 Worlds roster after finishing seventh after Ledecky dropped the event individually, whilst Gemmell was not added under the same Circumstances in 2022.

Whilst the scenario where this is an issue is unlikely, it would be an unwelcome surprise to get to the end of Saturday’s finals and have to make a snap decision. With that in mind, USA Swimming may play it safe and schedule a swim-off between the two later in the week to break the tie. Both swimmers still have entries in the 50 and 400 freestyles, with Gemmell in the 200 IM as well, however neither will be racing tomorrow.

Under section 1.3.7 (c) of the Selection Criteria:

(a) If there is a tie in an Event, and it is necessary to break the tie to decide the finish order in that Event to determine (i) who is Selected to the Team, and/or (ii) who would be given the opportunity to swim the Event at the Championships, then a swim-off between the athletes involved in the tie will be conducted at the Qualifying Competition. For example, if there is a tie for second place in the 100-meter Freestyle, a swim-off will be conducted between the athletes to determine second place and thus who would be given the opportunity to swim the Event at the Championships. Additionally, if there is a three-way tie for 6th place in the 200-meter Freestyle, a swim-off will be conducted between the athletes to determine sixth and seventh places and who would qualify for the Team.

Although the section references second- and sixth-place finishers, it would appear that the scenario discussed above would fall under this as well.

For both swimmers the time tonight marked a personal best, making it two-from-two so far after they both set new bests in the 100 yesterday as well. Peplowski, the 2025 NCAA champion in the 200 free, hacked over a second off her entry time of 1:56.99 whilst Gemmel cut 0.15 off her previous best of 1:55.97.