Taylor Ruck Ties Canadian Record at England Winter Nationals

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Over the weekend, a group of Canadian swimmers from the High Performance Center Ontario swam at Swim England’s Winter Nationals in Sheffield. That group included Taylor Ruck, who won three events and also tied a Canadian record.

Ruck, 17, posted a time of 1:56.94 in the 200 free, tying Brittany MacLean’s national record set last year. She finished second in that event while also posting wins in the 100 free, 100 back and 200 back at the meet.

In the 100 free, Ruck posted a time of 52.96, improving her to No. 9 in the world this year. She joins fellow 2016 Olympic medalist Penny Oleksiak as the only Canadian under 53 in the event.

Ruck also posted a 2:06.87 in the 200 back, about one second off Kylie Masse’s Canadian record of 2:05.97 set at the World Championships this year. But Ruck did beat the Canadian 15-17 national age record, and she was just a tenth off Kaylee McKeown’s world junior record of 2:06.76, also from Worlds.

Ruck’s 100 back time of 1:00.09 was well off her career-best time of 59.23 from earlier in the year.

Read Swimming Canada’s full press release on Ruck’s efforts below.

Taylor Ruck did something only Penny Oleksiak has ever done, as the High Performance Center Ontario made an impression at Swim England National Winter Championships in Sheffield.

The 17-year-old Ruck won the 100-m freestyle Saturday in 52.96, making her just the second Canadian (and second under-18 swimmer ever) to break the 53-second barrier. Oleksiak’s gold-medal time of 52.70 from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is the only other sub-53 time by a Canadian or a junior.

Ruck also won the 200 backstroke in 2:06.87 to lower her own 15-17 national age group record. Earlier in the meet, she won the 100 back in 1:00.09, and tied Brittany MacLean’s Canadian record in the 200 freestyle, taking silver in 1:56.94 for a national age group mark. Her teammate Kayla Sanchez, 16, was fourth in 1:59.33 after winning the 50 in a personal best 25.29 on Day 2.

Meanwhile, Kierra Smith of Kelowna, B.C., who joined the group for the five-day meet, won the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.07 and the 200 in 2:24.09. Smith was fifth in the 50 with a personal best of 31.88 earlier in the meet.

Rebecca Smith of Red Deer, Alta., also found her way to the top of the podium, winning the 100 butterfly on Day 1 in 58.18 and the 50 fly in 26.61 on Day 3.

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dunc1952

6 years ago

Taylor didn’t enter the 50, won as you noted by Canadian teammate Kayla Sanchez at :25.29.

Taylor’s foot touch split in the :52.96 100 Free was a new 50 PB at :25.33.

Per the FINA database, Taylor’s life PB 50 before this weekend was :25.64 on 8-2-15 from the 2015 USA Swimming Junior Nationals-West.

Pretty good week of swimming for Taylor.

Carolyn Sheehan

6 years ago

Fantastic swimming! Congratulations!!

Irene Theders

6 years ago

Wow! ?