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High Performance Ontario Training Group Sent Home to Reset During Pandemic

Canada’s top training group based out of the Ontario High Performance group in Toronto has been sent home to ‘regroup’ after the Canadian Olympic Trials were cancelled amid the ongoing global coronavirus epidemic.

The group was told that they had to return to Canada last week while on a training trip in Florida. Upon landing, they received an email telling them that the Olympic Trials were cancelled and their coach Ben Titley sent them back home to reset and regroup with their families.

For star swimmer Taylor Ruck, who was a member of both bronze medal winning relays at the 2016 Olympic Games, that means back home in Scottsdale, Arizona. While Ruck was born in Canada, in British Columbia, her family moved to the United States before her first birthday, though she is not an American citizen. Ruck spent the 2018-2019 season competing for Stanford, but this season is on an Olympic redshirt year to prepare for the Olympic Games that are supposed to happen this summer.

According to AZ Central, Ruck was training in a community pool 20 minutes from her home, and has since moved to a 20 yard pool owned by a woman who first taught her how to swim.

“This is a crazy time. Everything is changing so fast that I’m focusing on what I can do to keep in shape and not be super stressed. A lot of people don’t have to a pool or a gym and that’s defiintely taking a toll. So I’m just trying to enjoy what I have and live in the moment and enjoy the little things.”

While most of the squad are Ontario natives and are remaining close by, key relay leg Rebecca Smith has returned home to Canmore, Alberta, near Calgary. She was a member of all 3 bronze medal winning women’s relays at last summer’s World Championships.

Current Ontario High Performance Squad

NAME HOMETOWN RESIDENCE
Mack Darragh Oakville, ON Toronto, ON
Hanna Henderson Mississauga, ON
Yuri Kisil Calgary, AB Toronto, ON
Finlay Knox Okotoks, AB
Joshua Liendo Markham, ON Markham, ON
Penelope Oleksiak Toronto, ON Toronto, ON
Taylor Ruck Kelowna, BC Scottsdale, AZ
Kayla Sanchez Scarborough, ON Scarborough, ON
Rebecca Smith Red Deer, AB Toronto, ON

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Ladyvoldisser
4 years ago

Glad Canada is using intelligence to guide decisions. Stay healthy and stay alive!!!

Matterson
4 years ago

Thanks for the report SwimSwam, I’d been wondering where the HPO athletes ended up.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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