2021 CANADIAN OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS
- June 19 – June 23, 2021
- Toronto, Ontario
- Toronto Pan Am Sport Centre
- Long Course Meters (50m)
- Olympic Qualifying Event
- Swimming Canada Olympic Selection Criteria
- Meet Package
- Psych Sheets
- Live results
One of the fastest women in the 200 freestyle over the last five years won’t be contesting the event in Tokyo.
Taylor Ruck swam to a time of 2:01.06 in the women’s 200 freestyle preliminaries on Day 2 of the 2021 Canadian Olympic Trials in Toronto, ranking her 12th in a field of 19 swimmers and effectively out of tonight’s final in the event.
The Canadian Trials are racing 10-swimmer finals, so Ruck would need a pair of scratches to get slotted into tonight’s session.
Ruck, 21, had a breakout 2018, especially in this event, winning both the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championship titles over the likes of Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky.
Ruck’s best time and Canadian Record stands at 1:54.44, set at the Pan Pacs, which ties her for fourth among all women since the conclusion of the 2016 Olympic Games.
Women’s 200 Free LCM Rankings, Sept.1, 2016 – Present
- Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 1:53.09 – 2021
- Federica Pellegrini (ITA), 1:54.22 – 2019
- Katie Ledecky (USA), 1:54.40 – 2021
- Taylor Ruck (CAN) / Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 1:54.44 – 2018 / 2020
Ruck was among the early nominees to the Canadian Olympic team in the women’s 100 free, and qualified in last night’s 100 back, but it doesn’t look like she’ll be competing individually in the 200 free at next month’s Games.
Penny Oleksiak, who has already been nominated to the team in the 200 free, paced the prelims in a very solid time of 1:57.07, her fourth-fastest swim ever and good for 15th in the world.
14-year-old Summer McIntosh, who has likely qualified for the team in the 400 freestyle despite not racing it on Day 1, lowered her 13-14 National Age Group Record in 1:57.40 to qualify second, having set her previous mark of 1:57.65 just over a month ago.
Rebecca Smith (1:58.70), Katerine Savard (1:58.71) and Mary-Sophie Harvey (1:58.94) were the next three up, while Brooklyn Douthwright set a new best of 1:59.12 for sixth. Kayla Sanchez, who owns a best of 1:57.23, also advanced in 1:59.20.
In the men’s 200 free it was the top two swimmers from last night’s 400 final that led the heats, with Jeremy Bagshaw the lone man cracking the 1:50 barrier in 1:49.60. Bagshaw was the runner-up on Saturday in the 400 free to Peter Brothers, who qualifies second for the final tonight in 1:50.08.
The Canadian men have not qualified for the 800 free relay at the Olympics.
Cole Pratt, who qualified for the Olympic team in last night’s 100 back, was notably a no-show in the event.
The second set of Canadian Trials prelims will be at 12:30 ET with the women’s and men’s 100 breaststroke.
It seems those who took school off didn’t swim as well as those who stayed the course doesn’t it…Taylor and Ragan and who else.
I am happy that CANADIAN swimmers don’t offer EXCUSES
Indeed a strange qualifying year
The Canadian qualifying journey has been long and tortured…..not been fun to follow at all!
She will find a way to bounce back, she always has. Rooting for you TRuck!!!
What’s going on with Jade Hannah? I thought she would challenge for a spot in the 100/200 back
Lost with this was how smooth some of the other girls looked going 1:57/1:58. Ruck is important but dare I say Oleksiak-Sanchez-McIntosh-Overholt/Savard/Smith might be a really strong team as well
The monkey wrench in the relay selection is Ruck’s 1:54-55 relay potential if she’s on.
Penny + 3 1:57’s means Canada does not have a fighting chance beating Australia & USA.
5th & 6th place at Australian trials was 1:56.29
Believe me, I’m all for 4 Canadian women dropping some bombs at finals and ending this conversation. But if we’re left with Penny and a handful of 1:57’s, Ruck is very much in the relay conversation.
If McIntosh improves at her current rate she’s a suitable replacement for Ruck. I guess she’s already on the team too so you can just throw them all out in prelims and see who joins Penny in the finals
Reality sets in.
2021 Olympic Swimming Trials
Toronto Pan-Am Sports Centre
Sunday, 2021-06-20
Women’s 200 meter freestyle
McIntosh – 1:56.19
Oleksiak – 1:57.24
Smith – 1:57.76
Savard – 1:57.79
https://results.swimming.ca/2020_Olympic_Swimming_Trials/
These comments are insane and so insensitive. Taylor overcame a ton of personal challenges and the fact that she qualified in the 100 back is a huge accomplishment. I’m sure if it’s the right choice she will swim relays if not Canada has a deep bench of girls who can drop 53 low and I’m sure one of them will drop 52 with Penny. In the 4×2 they have a solid bench as well and this morning was very promising.
Agreed. Would help for context if SNC or Taylor would care to comment for context. Not that it’s owed, but would answer questions and certainly garner sympathy.
She did share. There is a French program on Canadian female swimming on Radio Canada. She talks about struggling with eating disorders and depression this year. Amazing that she qualified for the olympics and overcame the challenges she did. She has a long career ahead of her if she chooses. Either way the girl has accomplished a lot
Voila, it’s a mix of French and English https://ici.radio-canada.ca/tele/podium-presente-le-reve-olympique/site/episodes/535359/natation-equipe-taylor-tuck-kylie-masse
Fair enough. Not previously presented in the swimswam or cbc mainstream media in order to silence the ‘critics’. Best of luck to her to get healthy and well, and if makes sense aim to thrive again on the Nat swimming scene. As a swimming fan dreaming of the possibilities of a 2018 154 Ruck, 2019 154 Penny, current but obviously rapidly improving 156 Summer, and then a plethora of depth the 4th leg swimmers including Smith, Sanchez, Savard, Sophie Harvey, and who know who else may come thru in the coming couple of years!
Please list this deep bench of girls without Ruck.
Here are the best times of the canadian women in the past 2 years (according to FINA):
Ruck 53.03
Oleksiak 53.41
Sanchez 53.57
MacNeil 54.06
Smith 54.44
Couldn’t find anyone else who went sub 55 in the past 2 years. Without Ruck, Canada has 4 girls who went sub 55 in the past 2 years, none of them went 53 low. MacNeil and Sanchez would have to hit (big) PBs to go 53 low and Oleksiak would need to swim her best times since 2017 to go 53 low. I wouldn’t call 3 women (at the absolute best) a deep bench.
MacNeil hit 53.18 at finals of the relay at 2019 worlds
And Penny has dropped a number of 52 mid/low splits.
Taylor is one tough competitor. Love watching her swim.
she should have never left canada :/
Taylor fractured her wrist and was advised to hold off on surgery until after the Olympics… she’s been able to train with it but it has been painful for her. All things considered she’s doing great under the circumstances.
Wow bummer. First we’ve all heard of that. Wonder if SNC or Swimswam can confirm. Rough year for health issues: Ruck, Manuel, Baker, Sjostrom….
Wow, if that’s true, hopefully Swim Canada can pull back her pre-selection in the 100m free.
Wow I can’t imagine holding off surgery on a fractured wrist and swimming with a fractured wrist that is not in set in a cast.
As far as I remember Ruck moved to Scottsdale, AZ, when she was a young child, she attended Chaparral High School there, so she become an excellent swimmer training and competing in USA. Perhaps she should have never left USA?
she was training in canada when she reached her peak