Peplowski and Gemmell 200 Free Swim-Off Set To Happen Saturday

by Will Baxley 20

June 06th, 2025 National, News

2025 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

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.

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Snarky.
20 hours ago

Saturday
Is
Going
To
Be
Bonkers!

Anon55
21 hours ago

The women’s 800 already happened. I believe on the first day of trials. Tomorrow is the women’s 1500

Strugglebus
22 hours ago

No way she swims the 50 or 800 on Saturday! I wouldn’t be surprised if scratches the 400 finals!

Strugglebus
Reply to  Strugglebus
17 hours ago

Oh my she did scratch 400 free tonight!

TJSWIMMER
22 hours ago

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.

Bull Puoy 🐂🎱
1 day ago

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.

YSwim
1 day ago

how about the weber- siroky 59 breast swim off?
they have just both qualified for the 100breast A final tonite!
also some time tomorrow?

YSwim
Reply to  YSwim
1 day ago

50 Breast swim off?

Bull Puoy 🐂🎱
Reply to  YSwim
1 day ago

I’d rather see a 59m swim-off. Do that first turn, then it’s a race to a faster partial pullout.

CasualSwimmer
Reply to  Bull Puoy 🐂🎱
21 hours ago

Fast partial pullout was Randy’s nickname in college

Snarky.
Reply to  CasualSwimmer
20 hours ago

Best. Comment. Ever!

Go Bucky
Reply to  CasualSwimmer
19 hours ago

I’m dying 🤣

Masters swammer
1 day ago

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.

Reply to  Masters swammer
1 day ago

It has not been confirmed, but from the outside I think many are operating under the assumption of #2

Kevin
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
1 day ago

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 »

Walsh-Madden-Grimes-Weinstein
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
1 day ago

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.

JimSwim22
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
1 day ago

Could it be related to the other teams being chosen? One of the next year ones maybe?

Masters Swammer
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
4 hours ago

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.

Walsh-Madden-Grimes-Weinstein
Reply to  Masters swammer
1 day ago

If Ledecky and Huske opt out of the individual W 200 FR, then affirmative.

Go Bucky
Reply to  Masters swammer
19 hours ago

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.

Last edited 19 hours ago by Go Bucky