Torri Huske has officially declined her spot in the individual 200 freestyle at the 2025 World Championships. Erin Gemmell will be swimming the event instead.
Last month, Huske finished 3rd in the 200 freestyle at the 2025 U.S. Nationals, coming in at 1:55.71. The 3rd place finisher typically does not earn an individual spot at Worlds, but Katie Ledecky finished 2nd in 1:55.26.
As she has done in recent years, Ledecky declined her spot in the event to focus on the 400/800/1500 at the meet, but she swims the 200 at Nationals to secure her spot on the 4×200 freestyle relay.
With Ledecky out, that moved Huske into 2nd place, giving her the individual swim. It seemed likely that she would decline the event as well, given that she has three other individual events (50/100 Free, 100 Fly) and a plethora of relay swims ahead of her, and she officially did this afternoon.
In the final at Nationals, there was actually a tie for 4th place between Erin Gemmell and Anna Peplowski at 1:55.82. Due to tying for 4th, they had to have a swim-off to determine who would be Priority #1 and who would be priority #3 for the Worlds roster in the event of a roster cap issue.
Gemmell came out victorious in the swim-off, touching in 1:55.23, which would have been 2nd in the actual event final. With Huske scratching, the swim-off results determined that Gemmell would receive the individual swim over Peplowski.
Gemmell currently sits in 5th in the World this year with her swim-off time.
2024-2025 LCM Women 200 Free
O'CALLAGHAN
1:53.48
| 2 | Li Bingjie | CHN | 1:54.52 | 07/30 |
| 3 | Claire Weinstein | USA | 1:54.67 | 07/30 |
| 4 | Lani Pallister | AUS | 1:54.89 | 06/11 |
| 5 | Liu Yaxin | CHN | 1:54.96 | 03/23 |
Gremmell has previously been in a similar position: she finished 7th at the 2022 World Championship Trials, and Katie Ledecky scratched the individual event. USA Swimming did not pull her on the team as a member of the relay, which they later said was an error and issued an apology for.
it’s at least nice that Gemmel doesn’t need to alter her training at all even after this somewhat late announcement, maybe just needs to slightly tweak the timing of her taper.
With Foster getting the second 200 fly spot (and not stepping back from it despite the schedule conflict it creates), Milak’s official WJR is most likely going to survive the Heilman/Kharun era.
Isn’t Hellman still going to WUGSor one of the junior meets
Doesn’t WUGS conflict with Worlds? Maybe Junior Worlds in August?
No, the US doesn’t allow anyone who made their top team to go to any lower priority meet.
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I’m well aware. But him and Heilman are often talked about in the same context, and many people predicted the WJR getting broken by one of them. I suppose it’s still possible if Heilman goes to a junior meet.
I’m actually pretty surprised Heilman still hasn’t broken it. He was already so close at 16.
Yeah he got very close in 2023 I thought it was on borrowed time.
I think Heilman still has a chance at US Open in December? But I do think the official WJR will most likely survive, let alone the unofficial one of 1:52.71.
Will the US Open be LCM this year? But yeah, the unofficial is truly tough, not even Kharun is faster than that at 20 (yet, I should add).
Us open is LC this year
I’m totally fine with this. I love Huske and think she’s gonna be electric at worlds, but I honestly think Gemmel has more upside potential in the 200 free. I think she could join Weinstein in the 1:54 club this summer.
I’m more than fine with this! Gemmell literally went 0.5 faster than Huske’s best when she did that massive swimoff PR. This is win-win for team USA
I agree…but it kind of stinks that USA women probably have a faster lineup, but it’s become secondary to many other swimmers…for example –
- Katie Ledecky – as article mentioned, she’s focused on other individual races
- Torrie Huske – same
- Gretchen Walsh – chances are, she’s capable of being in our top 6 simply due to her overall speed, and who knows how fast she could swim if she were given a chance tapered in this race (and targeting this race, as opposed to 50’s and 100’s).
- Kate Douglass – another one who easily has potential to be 1:54 or better for team USA, but doesn’t even consider it.
- Alex Walsh – did she swim this at trials?
… Read more »I have doubts Gretchen would be very fast in this event. Only 3 turns compared to the 7 she gets in SC and that’s where she kills everyone. Also, her SC 200 is very fast but the piano came for her big time that last 100, and I think it would be worse in LC. Alex has a pb of 1:57 I think, she used to swim it at qualifier meets but hasn’t in the last couple years. I don’t see her breaking through. I would love to see what Kate could do in this but we never will.
I feel like some of these are a stretchhhhh
Gretchen has never done any 200s in LCM. She barely does them in scy and clearing approaches them as a sprint rather than a mid distance even and would have a tough time in lcm with that strategy
KD did she ever even do a 200 free in SCY? Again whole different event than what she currently swims. 1:54 is elite and seems like a a lot. Simone Manuel who has similar free ability is a 1:56 so 1:54 seems like a lot
AW has on and off swam it and hasn’t broken 1:57. She clearly doesn’t want to do distance training …
I really don’t see… Read more »
Yes..they should use …
Prelims – Anna P, Gammel, Sims and Huske
Finals- Weinstien, Gammel, Ledecky and Huske
no way Huske is doing prelims. It’s actually same day as the 100 free so I wouldn’t be shocked if she skips the relay altogether. I guess it depends how she and everyone else is swimming.
I might put Manuel on the prelims relay, honestly. She should be fresh, she has a reliable 200, and it seems like more than enough to qualify.
Guessing (not sure on order)
Prelims: Peplowski, Gemmell, Sims, Manuel
Finals: Ledecky, Weinstein, and some combination of the fastest prelims swimmer(s) and Huske (depending on how she’s swimming overall and her other workload).
Gretchen Walsh is good, but she’s not that good.
Gretchen glaze is crazy, she is incredible but she’d be dead in the water by the 150. She’s a drop dead sprinter.
tell me you’re a UVA fan without telling me you’re a UVA fan…
Bad move. She can’t make the podium if she doesnt swim the event.
You just dont get it Scott.
Don’t you worry, you’ll be seeing Torri on the podium plenty!
Oh she’ll be setting up shop on the podium
shouldnt Torri Huske’s name be listed 1st as the 1st qualifier for the US since she is the one that won the event?
I was just thinking that. Every single event has the first qualifier first except the women’s 100 free
So when’s the Duncan Scott, James Guy swim off
Good question!
I think it’s absolutely adorable that you listed Gretchen Walsh first in the 100 free (I’ve already checked: all of the other events have the top finisher listed in the correct order).
I know that some of you may not like to admit this, but Torri Huske won the 100 free at trials.
It’s USA Swimming’s list. IDK why they did what they did. If it offends you that much I guess we could change it.
They probably did it because they are incompetent
Or they just copy pasted from the 50 free line because it’s the same two people
Its not offensive; it is just incorrect.
It’s only incorrect if your presumption is that they’re listed in finish order, which is not written or declared anywhere.
But it is very evident..99.99% the rest of the list is in order..except that one
We all saw it coming, her schedule is insane. But man I would’ve loved to see her swim it