Taylor Ruck Pops 2:07.3 200 Back To Open Canadian Junior Championships

RBC CANADIAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

The inaugural RBC Canadian Junior Championships kicked off today in Toronto, and two-time Olympic medalist Taylor Ruck delivered a big performance in her only event of the competition.

Competing in the Girls 15-17 200 back, Ruck had gone a best time in prelims at 2:08.75, but she wasn’t done there. In the final she dominated the field, coming in at 2:07.62 for the 6th fastest time in the world this year.

The swim made her the 3rd fastest Canadian in history, trailing only Olympic medalist Hilary Caldwell and 100m world record holder Kylie Masse, and moved her up from 59th to 26th all-time in the event. She also narrowly missed Daria Ustinova‘s Junior world record of 2:07.29. She broke Sinead Russell‘s 15-17 age group record of 2:08.89 in both prelims and finals.

Madison Broad (2:13.56) and Aela Janvier (2:13.71) won silver and bronze in the event, with Rosie Zavaros 4th in 2:14.91.

Asia Minnes won the 13-14 category in 2:18.50 over Emma O’Croinin (2:19.60).

Joshua Liendo unloaded a dominant 54.76 in the Boys 14-16 100 fly, winning by over two seconds and going faster than the 15-17 winner. Tai Long Singh won that category in 54.98.

Mabel Zavaros claimed the girls 15-17 100 fly title in 1:00.54, and Genevieve Sasseville (1:01.89) won for the 13-14 age group.

The other individual event contested was the boys 1500 free, where Ryley McRae (15:35.87) and Mathew Fuller (16:01.27) won the 14-16 and 15-17 categories respectively.

Closing the session was the mixed 400 free relay, where the University of Calgary Swim Club (3:39.13) edged out Markham Aquatic Club (3:39.76) for the win. Mehdi Ayoubi (50.32) of CAMO and Hanna Henderson (57.03) of Etobicoke had the top splits in the field. Stephen Calkins (51.35) and Ruslan Gaziev (51.76) also had impressive lead-offs for UCSC and MAC.

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thomaslurzfan
6 years ago

In the headline it says “Taylor Ruck pops 2:07.3 … “, but in the article itself it says that her time was 2:07.6 (“In the final she dominated the field, coming in at 2:07.62 for the 6th fastest time in the world this year.”) so did she swim 2:07.3 or 2:07.6?

ooo
Reply to  thomaslurzfan
6 years ago

1 Ruck, Taylor 00 SCAR/HPC-ON 2:08.75 2:07.62 50
30.19 1:02.29 (32.10)
1:34.87 (32.58) 2:07.62 (32.75)

thomaslurzfan
6 years ago

Does anyone else think its weird that she always seem to underperform, goes to training camp and shortly after drops crazy times?
I mean why cant she do it at the nationals? I think it was the same last year and then she was crazy fast at the short course world championships.

Swimfan
Reply to  thomaslurzfan
6 years ago

Taylor has had issues with her taper in the past -that is a common issue when you are a young swimmer… as the body changes the taper must change. And what worked once may not work a second time the way it would for a senior swimmer. Think about it: in just one year she went from being five ten to over 6 feet tall. And now she has probably stopped growing. Once at swimmer stops growing the coaching staff will find the taper that works for them and it tends to work every time. Taylor has a huge upside this is just the start of big things to come.

Ex quaker
6 years ago

SHE’S BACK

Ben
Reply to  Ex quaker
6 years ago

And considering she moved to Toronto to train at the High Performance Center for the next year, she’s not only going to improve a lot, but she’ll push the others (adult and junior) to keep improving.

Teddy
6 years ago

She would have medaled at the olympics with that time. She has to be tapered or at least peaking. It seems like they need to rethink her taper, because she keeps doing poorly at trials

Teddy
Reply to  Teddy
6 years ago

Sorry, missed bronze by a tenth

Bill G
Reply to  Teddy
6 years ago

Ruck has struggled at the Cdn April Trials. Consider the rethink of the taper a fait accompli … she has recently relocated to Toronto from Arizona to train with the HPC-Ontario crew (where Oleksiak-Sanchez-Toro-Smith-van Landeghem-Mainville train / have trained). No April trials in 2018, though (2018 Commonwealth Games team to be selected based on summer 2017 results).

Bo swims
Reply to  Bill G
6 years ago

Worlds/Jr Nats/Nats/Jr Worlds/Canada Games and Wugs are all selection meets for Commonwealth Games where its 3/country. I think she may have punched a ticket to Gold Coast tonight.

Ben
Reply to  Bill G
6 years ago

There are trials for the Pan Pacific games, but from what I’ve heard, they’ll also accept times in the Commonwealth Games for qualifications as well.

Bo swims
Reply to  Ben
6 years ago

Pan Pac Trials are Summer 2018, Commonwealth Games are in April

Voldemort
6 years ago

Don’t forget 16 y/o Sebastian somerset unloading a monsterous 2:01.01 200 back

KRB
6 years ago

I doubt if she is even fully tapered for this meet, as I am assuming she is aiming to peak at Junior Worlds a month from now.

Will be interesting to see how she does in the freestyle events there — she is the defending champion in the 100 and 200 free (beating Oleksiak and Ikee in the 100)

Ben
Reply to  KRB
6 years ago

Unfortunately she didn’t qualify individually for either. Rebecca Smith and Kayla Sanchez (each currently 16) both beat her in the 200m freestyle, and out of everyone in the 100m freestyle final at trials (including Penny Oleksiak and both of the other previously mentioned juniors), Taylor Ruck was the only one slower than the Fina A standard.

She should be a force to be reckoned with in relays though. The medley relay in particular would probably put Taylor on backstroke, Penny on butterfly and one of the other two on freestyle. That’s as close as you can get to a surefire gold for the Canadian girl’s team at the world juniors. It almost doesn’t matter who you put on breaststroke at… Read more »

Hannah
Reply to  Ben
6 years ago

Speaking of relays, based on Smith’s and Sanchez’s splits at worlds and Ruck’s split from the Olympics, the Canadian junior 4×100 freestyle relay could conceivably have finaled at worlds. They have a very bright future.

KRB
Reply to  Ben
6 years ago

Thanks. I forgot that both Smith and Sanchez beat her in the 100 and 200 free and they are also going to Jr. Worlds.

Not sure who is swimming some of the other events for Canada at Jr. Worlds but I suppose she could also swim the 400 free there as she has put up good times in that event before, and if memory serves me right, I seem to remember that she swam another event at an event in Arizona right after trials putting up another good time (the 200 IM??). Definitely a very talented swimmer in multiple events.

Caleb
6 years ago

She is a very unpredictable swimmer. Huge upside.

KRB
Reply to  Caleb
6 years ago

She was apparently sick during the Olympic trials, so she should be given a pass there. Her only real disappointing meet was the World Trials this year.

Bob
6 years ago

Is Canada the best backstroke country right now? (Women’s only) Wr in the 100, 3 of the top 6 in the world this year for the 200.

MTK
Reply to  Bob
6 years ago

Glad you clarified the women only part, our Canadian men’s backstroke situation is pretty thin haha.

Ben
Reply to  Bob
6 years ago

Canada’s also got a lot of young, up and coming freestyle swimmers on the women’s side as well. Judging by Taylor Ruck’s performance tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Canada completely dominates the girl’s relays at the World Juniors this year.

marge
Reply to  Bob
6 years ago

Cheese Whiz is big in Canada.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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