2018 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, August 9 – Tuesday, August 14, 2018
- Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Meet site
- Psych Sheet
- Start Lists
- Meet Results
In the first major upset of the Pan Pacific Championships, Canadian Taylor Ruck pulled off a gold medal-winning swim in the women’s 200 freestyle to lower both the Commonwealth Pan Pacific Championship Records.
Ruck went head-to-head with American Katie Ledecky, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist and the only swimmer in the world faster than her this year, and came out on top in a time of 1:54.44. That lowers her own Commonwealth and Canadian Record of 1:54.81, set at the Comm Games in April where she also won gold, and also removes Ledecky’s Championship Record of 1:55.16 set in the prelims. Ruck also now overtakes Ledecky’s 1:54.52 from the Santa Clara Pro Swim for the fastest time in the world this year.
Ledecky ended up with the bronze in 1:55.15, as Japan’s Rikako Ikee edged past her on the final 50 for silver to lower her Asian Record in 1:54.85.
Comparing Ruck’s old and new Commonwealth Records, the difference tonight really came in the middle 100, where she split 58.31 compared to 58.99 at the Commonwealth Games. She was slightly faster on the opening and closing 50 on the Gold Coast.
Taylor Ruck Commonwealth Record Split Comparison
| Ruck, 2018 Commonwealth Games | Ruck, 2018 Pan Pacs |
| 26.68 | 26.82 |
| 56.04 (29.36) | 55.73 (28.91) |
| 1:25.67 (29.63) | 1:25.13 (29.40) |
| 1:54.81 (29.14) | 1:54.44 (29.31) |
| 1:54.81 | 1:54.44 |
Additionally, Ruck moves up to 5th all-time in this event, while Ikee is now in a tie for 10th.
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Fastest Performers Ever
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| 1 | Federica Pellegrini | 1:52.98 |
| 2 | Allison Schmitt | 1:53.61 |
| 3 | Katie Ledecky | 1:53.73 |
| 4 | Sarah Sjostrom | 1:54.08 |
| 5 | Taylor Ruck | 1:54.44 |
| 6 | Camille Muffat | 1:54.66 |
| 7 | Femke Heemskerk | 1:54.68 |
| 8 | Missy Franklin | 1:54.81 |
| 9 | Emma McKeon | 1:54.83 |
| 10 | Ariarne Titmus | 1:54.85 |
| 10 | Rikako Ikee | 1:54.85 |
Race Video (Available in the US):
Why does this overhead photo make my shoulders ache? Oh, wait — Nearly all the photos make my shoulders ache.
If it is so symptomatic maybe it’s time to seek for professional help.
I would expect from the knowledgeable person like you some analysis of so many remarkable events going on in August in elite swimming but not sharing publicly details of your medical issues.
This is probably a good sign for her 200 back… 2:04? Not breaking the WR but getting close?
Well at Commonwealth games she already did a 1:54.8 in 2free, then followed it with a 2:06 2back, Id be happy with a best time in the 2:05 range really. 2:04 would me amazing don’t get me wrong, but just improving and getting top 3 would be pretty awesome at this point.
200 back is going to be one of the best races of the meet.
Yeah both backstroke races for the women are going to be memorable this time around…the field is so tight!!
Incredible swim from Ruck! I kind of don’t want her to leave Toronto next year for Stanford based on the way she’s competing right now.
I’m with you – hard to advocate for changing a situation that is working so well right now.
Yes, always a pity interrupting a system of training (and life?) which is working so well.
Ruck’s huge talent was clear already at Junior Worlds 2015, and when she decided, last year, after her really disapponting Nats, to leave Scottsdale to start her training at HPC in Toronto, I thought she was making the right move.
Now I don’t know: the Ncaa works very well for someone, not so much for others (always reminding Sara Isakovic, super-strong in 2008, in plain swimming growth, and then disappeared when he left Slovenia for Cal).
Anyway Ruck’s confidence and swimming dimension are now very high.
I hope she and her family (and also Titley and the whole HPC staff)… Read more »
I hope you won’t call it a blasphemy if I say that Katie Ledecky’s recovering abilities are not what they used to be until 2 years ago. This is not exceptional, but expected, and does not take away anything from her greatness – she is and remains the best female freestyler ever, and will still be dominating in Tokyo 2020. This reduced ability shows especially in the 200 free, which is currently her weakest freestyle event and where she has formidable competition. She is a pro now, and I fear that going forward she will have to make choices that enable her to do what public and sponsors like the most: win gold medals and breaking WRs. This could mean… Read more »
Or she’s just tapering for Worlds 🤷🏼♂️
She also 8:07 and 1:54 this season. Even if she’s training through Pan pacs there should be no reason why can’t replicate her in-season times and win gold. Also, why would she be tapering for worlds which is a year away??
Ledecky was faster in both the 800 and the 200 than she was in 2014. She was no faster when she won gold in the 200 in 2015.
The third fifty was always the most difficult part of 200 race for Katie Ledecky. Today she swam it by 0.7sec slower of her standards. It can be fairly attributed to factors you mentioned in your comment. Let’s see what splits she will have tomorrow in 4×200 relay. A year ago she lost final with exactly same time (1:55.16) and then showed great swim in relay with 1:54.0. If it happens again then I would say that she is ok with 200 individual race, but in order to show exceptional time she has to have a meet dedicated to this particular event.
On a side note, I think Sanchez lowered her PB as well. Going forward, the Canadian 4x200m relay team could be exciting with Ruck possibly eventually dipping below 1:54:00, Oleksiak hopefully dipping below 1:56:00 and Sanchez/Smith dipping below 1:57:00.
Penny is not at Pan Pacific.
No she isn’t, I never said she was. My “going forward” comment in my original post meant into the future, over the next 6-8 years, not this meet.
I think Penny is in one meet at a time mode. Hopefully there is a next year, 6-8 years is probably pushing it.
I think you’re missing a few other future potential 200 free relay swimmers
After 2 years with Greg Meehan, she will be ready to break the WR.
Or she will be getting third.
Hopefully, but she is currently training in a world class program with a world class integrated support team. It will be tough to replicate the attention she is getting in a college program.
Let’s put aside the quality of Ledecky’s training in Stanford as long distance swimmer. This place may not had the strong expertise in this area. But Greg Meehan began coaching Ledecky when she was 1:53.7 in 200 and 52.6 split in 100.
Katie Ledecky’s sprinting achievements went noticeably down since.
Anyone have a link of the race to rewatch?
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8IVr3qNDRar_JRs0JoKqPA?app=desktop
Also a new Commonwealth record.
Bonnet 1.54.95 (2018) and Isakovic 1.54.97 (2008) are the other two women to go sub 1.55 on the all-time list.
Yes!! U should mention it as it is probably the most significant record broken – her Commonwealth record. It breaks her 1:54.81 from Commonwealths!! Emma Mckeon previously held it with her Olympic bronze medal performance of 1:54.83 from Rio
Correct. Missed that one. It’s fixed now, thanks.