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
- Live Results
Following a tie for 4th-place in the 200 free on Wednesday, Anna Peplowski and Erin Gemmell will have a swim-off at the start of Saturday night’s finals session at the U.S. National Championships, according to USA Swimming.
The pair of NCAA stars turned in new best times of 1:55.82 on Wednesday. For Peplowski, this was her first sub-1:56 swim, besting her 1:56.39 best from the prelims session. Prior to this week, her best stood at 1:56.99 from the 2024 Pro Series in San Antonio by over a second. Gemmell, meanwhile, got back under the 1:55.97 she registered leading off the U.S. women’s 4×200 free relay at the 2023 World Championships.
The winner of this swim-off will be guaranteed a spot on the U.S. team as one of the top four finishers in the event for the 4×200 free relay. They will join the event’s top 3 finishers, Claire Weinstein, Katie Ledecky, and Torri Huske. A swim-off, at a time decided by the athletes, their coaches, the Meet Managing Director, and the National Team, is standard protocol in this circumstance.
There’s still a good chance that the loser of the swim-off would also make the team. Only two more women already on the team would have to qualify in new events to open up spots for the 5th-place finishers in the 100 and 200 free (Gemmell placed 5th in the 100). This swim-off could also play a role in deciding prelims and finals placements in Singapore. Bella Sims, who placed sixth, could also potentially make the team in this event.
This additional swim could leave Gemmell pulling a triple on Saturday. The Longhorn is scheduled to swim the 800 free, where she’s seeded 12th and would likely swim it in the afternoon before finals. In the 200 IM, Gemmell is seeded at #19.
Peplowski enters Saturday with a much lighter load, having only entered the 50 freestyle.
Saturday
Is
Going
To
Be
Bonkers!
The women’s 800 already happened. I believe on the first day of trials. Tomorrow is the women’s 1500
No way she swims the 50 or 800 on Saturday! I wouldn’t be surprised if scratches the 400 finals!
Oh my she did scratch 400 free tonight!
Didn’t the 800 already happen? Saturday is the 1500 which I don’t believe Gemmel is entered in. She is also in the 50 though.
Have never really dissected the style in which each of these women swims / splits a 200 free LCM; even if not having massive consequence (at most, an individual spot in the 200m race if 2 women drop the event), will be fun to watch this go down.
how about the weber- siroky 59 breast swim off?
they have just both qualified for the 100breast A final tonite!
also some time tomorrow?
50 Breast swim off?
I’d rather see a 59m swim-off. Do that first turn, then it’s a race to a faster partial pullout.
Fast partial pullout was Randy’s nickname in college
Best. Comment. Ever!
I’m dying 🤣
Do we know that this swim-off is even necessary?
It seems that it is only necessary if
1) Not all of the priority 3 swimmers make the team (for the women, there are lots of doubles, and roster size doesn’t seem to be an issue)
OR
2) Both Ledecky and Huske opt out of the individual 200.
It has not been confirmed, but from the outside I think many are operating under the assumption of #2
Yeah it has to be this because as soon as all priority 2 are added because Regan will add at least 2 doubles when she is added all priority 3 will also make it. And it takes a very convoluted scenario at this point given who has qualified for the A finals in the 400 free, 100 breast, and 100 back to NOT add all priority 2 for the women. It would also require Ledecky to NOT qualify in the 400 AND 1500 for all priority 3 to not make the roster at this point AND Walsh, Huske, or Douglass to NOT be top 2 in the 50. When you have those are requirements for priority 3 to not make… Read more »
Katie Ledecky will relinquish her individual spot in the W 200 FR as has been the case since 2022.
100 FL, 200 FR, 100 FR, 50 FR is a packed schedule for Torri Huske and that doesn’t include the relays.
Could it be related to the other teams being chosen? One of the next year ones maybe?
That makes sense!
I wonder if Huske has communicated her plans to Gemmell and Peplowski (promoting them to schedule the swim-off).
It would be awkward for Gemmell to scratch the 400 final based just on speculation about Huske’s plans.
If Ledecky and Huske opt out of the individual W 200 FR, then affirmative.
Ledecky definitely will opt out and I think Huske should too… she’s going to have a loaded schedule w/relays and should save herself the 600m. She’d likely not podium anyway.