2017 CANADIAN SWIMMING TRIALS
- April 6-9
- Victoria, BC
- Saanich Commonwealth Place
- Long Course (50m)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheet
- World Championship Selection Criteria
- Meet Preview
- Day 1 Finals Heat Sheet
- Day 1 Finals Scratches
- Session Timelines
- Live Results
- Live Stream
In a very surprising turn of events in the women’s 200 free final, Taylor Ruck finished well off the pace in 2:00.63, taking 8th place. This was only half a second or so slower than her morning swim, but it was expected she had a lot more left in the tank for tonight.
This start to the Trials is eerily similar to the meet Ruck had a year ago at the Olympic Trials, as she struggled and failed to make the team. She was, however, added to the team for relays by the High Performance Director at the end of the meet. Ruck ultimately performed in Rio, helping Canada to a pair of bronze medals in the 400 and 800 free relays.
Ruck was expected to be a key part of Canada’s relays once again and potentially a medal threat in the individual 200 free in Budapest after her performances in Rio and more recently the Short Course World Championships. In Windsor, Ruck won bronze in the 200 free in a blazing national record of 1:52.50, and had the fastest split of the field in the 800 free relay in 1:51.69.
It will be interesting to see how Ruck rebounds from this swim, as she is slated to swim the 100 back A-final tonight after slipping in 8th place this morning. Her best event other than the 200 free is the 100 free, which takes place tomorrow.
Despite Ruck’s performance, Canada is in good hands with five women getting under the ‘A’ standard in the final. Katerine Savard and Mary-Sophie Harvey qualified in the individual 200 and Kayla Sanchez and Rebecca Smith qualified as part of the 800 free relay.
Taylor Ruck needs somebody in her heat to compete for, not against. She’s a fierce competitor who doesn’t show well at Trials because the pressure of having to beat friends and teammates makes her feel small, cold and alone. One of the most difficult aspects of swimming Nationals is coming to grips with the fact that friends are nonexistent and you’ve to be a warrior; that earning your teammates love and respect means beating them into the ground at trials. Some athletes can get there, some can’t. However, there’s a workaround. What Ruck is looking for is a fellow competitor to tell her “Hey, I need you to push me out there, or I’m not going to make it.” If… Read more »
FKP, your assessment is given additional weight with how well she has typically performed as a relay team member. Her simply astounding relay performance at the 2015 World Juniors (not to mention her key contributions in Rio) is surely in the back of Atkinson + Titley’s minds as they cross their fingers that she makes the team …
Her 100 back was better, but that 200 free was very disappointing. If she was swimming to form, she would be a key member of the 4X200 free relay who would have been a podium favorite at World’s. Now I am not so sure of their chances since Oleksiak didnt swim this event. Taylor should make relay team on 4X100 so hopefully they will consider her as an alternate on he 4X200 team, similar to Rio.
I would love to see her join one of the High Performance teams in Canada after the school year is out. I don’t think she is currently probably being pushed as hard as she needs to be in Phoenix.
You can’t always push the very tall , very slender built athletes . Whilst they have great range they also can be fragile . Its child abuse imo .
She has had plenty of success so far & Canada has other girls in her events .The pressure on
Junior Worlds 2015 Champions with Olympics 2016 following was immense .
I hate it that kids are expected to miraculously keep improving when they already have made remarkable leaps . Sheesh .
Child abuse? That is exactly what I am feeling reading about another nag record of very young kid. I hate proud parents who dress them into high-tech suits and push them to exercise hard from Dawn to Dusk. It is not children choice but parents decision and responsibility. I sympathize greatly to the concern of Katie Ledecky’s father when he was saying without any exaggerations that Katie being a schoolgirl spent more time in the water than on dry land. I’ve never seen him jumping and screaming on stands (in opposite to his brother) when Katie beats another world record.
On the other hand, G.I.N.A something has to be sacrificed to satisfy our appetite. Let them suffer for the… Read more »
Let’s wait for tomorrow to see if she makes 4×100 free relay. The competition at 100 free is even stronger than it was at 200 free today. She may miss Budapest.
They will most likely put her on the team…