Ruck resumes winning ways at Canadian trials
Top swimmers at Kinsmen Sports Centre vying for spots at Pan Pacific Games
Taylor Ruck has picked up right where she left off after winning a record eight medals at the Commonwealth Games in April.
Competing in her first, and perhaps only, event at the 2018 Canadian Swimming Trials, the Kelowna native blazed to gold in the women’s 200-metre freestyle on Wednesday.
The recently-turned 18-year-old recorded a time of 1:55:45 in the race, flirting with her Canadian record time of 1:54:81 (set at the Commonwealth Games) heading into the final turn.
Ruck said it was a relief to have such a strong performance in her first major meet since winning a gold, five silvers and two bronze medals at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, earning a berth in next month’s Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo.
“It was a really good start for the meet, and I am glad to have this done,” she said.
“My coach just said to do whatever I had to do to make the team. My expectations weren’t to break a record or set a best time, just to get out there and see what I could do. It was a relief to make the team in my first race.”
The result was good enough that Ruck says she may not compete in any other event at the Trials.
“I’m going to talk to my coach, but I don’t think I will be doing my other two events, because I have already made the team and my main priority is just getting ready for Tokyo now,” she said.
“I need to get back into training mode and I am more than ready to do so now.”
The winner of each event gains an automatic berth into next month’s Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, seen as a warm-up and precursor to the 2020 Summer Olympics Games, with swimming events set to take place in a nearby under-construction facility in the Japanese capital.
While expectations have certainly been raised following Ruck’s eight-medal bonanza a few months ago — making her one of four athletes in Games history to win that many in a single year — she said she is hopeful the pressure won’t get to her.
“I’ve always been nervous about expectations and pressure but I
I don’t think I will be doing my other two events, because I have already made the team.
think after the Commonwealth, it just made me realize just how much I love swimming and sharing this experience with my friends,” she said.
“I am just ready to have more fun. I put a lot of expectations on myself, but I just want to have fun again, and whether that leads to new best times or what have you, I am just looking forward to the experience.”
Ruck also won a pair of bronze medals in relay events at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
In addition, the top four swimmers in some events also earned berths on Canadian relay teams for the Pan Pacifics.
Joining Ruck on the 200m freestyle relay team in Japan will be Kayla Sanchez, Penny Oleksiak, who won four medals for Canada in Rio two years ago, and Rebecca Smith.
The men’s 200 freestyle gold was captured by Markus Thormeyer, with Alex Pratt, Javier Acevedo and Jeremy Bagshaw joining him on the relay team.
In other finals on the first day of competition, Mackenzie Padington won the women’s 800 freestyle, Kierra Smith took the women’s 100 breaststroke, Richard Funk finished first in the men’s 100 breaststroke, Emily Overholt won the women’s 400 IM and the men’s 400 IM was captured by Tristan Cote.
“A year ago I never thought I would be back here, so I am so, so happy,” Overholt said.
In Para swimming, Mick Bennett finished first in the multi-class 200 freestyle race, with Angela Marina doing likewise in the same event for women.
The 100 Para breaststroke titles went to Sarah Girard and Maxime Rousselle.
The Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships also take place next month in Cairns, Australia.