Bell Canadian Trials, Night 3: Taylor Ruck Adds 100 Fly Title
It’s been a banner week already for Taylor Ruck at Bell Canadian Trials. She won the 100 backstroke, setting her best time since 2019. She added a lifetime best in the 100 freestyle.
Tuesday, on the third day of competition in Montreal, she added the 100 butterfly crown in 58.15 seconds. It doesn’t register historically for Ruck, but it’s another accolade for the 26-year-old in the middle of a mid-career renaissance.
All the action from night 3 in Montreal:
Women’s 400 freestyle
Ella Jansen took advantage of the absence of Summer McIntosh, who withdrew from the meet due to illness. Jansen won the 400 free in 4:08.05 in an event where McIntosh is the world record holder.
Second was Ella Cosgrove in 4:11.66, just .08 up on Julie Brousseau. Sienna Angove finished fourth in 4:12.92, exactly two seconds ahead of Summer Cardwell.
Men’s 400 freestyle
Ethan Ekk bested the field in the men’s 400 free with a time of 4:37.22. He finished 2.90 seconds ahead of Jordi Vilchez. Fresh off his national record in the 400 individual medley, Lorne Wigginton added a bronze medal in the 400 free with a time of 3:53.00.
Simon Fonseca Florez was fourth, ahead of Aiden Kirk.
Women’s 100 butterfly
Chalk up another one for Taylor Ruck, who went 58.15 to win by .45 seconds over Leilani Fack. She was quicker in the morning, going 57.98. That’s within range of her best time, which was set at the Canadian Open in April at 57.71.
Third place went to Matea Gigovic in 59.01 seconds. Brooklyn Douthwright’s 1:00.04 was good for fourth.
Men’s 100 butterfly
Finlay Knox was narrowly the top seed out of prelims, then opened up the lead with a strong swim in finals to win in 51.82. He was three-quarters of a second ahead of Raben Dommann, who went 52.57. Knox is the beneficiary of the absence of Canadian record-holder Josh Liendo at the this meet.
Kent Goni Avila finished third in 52.87. Five swimmers were in the 52s, led by Wells Ginzler in 53.15.
Women’s 50 breaststroke
Sophie Angus won over a deep field in the women’s 50 breast, the first time the breaststrokers have hit the water in this meet. Angus clocked in at 30.40 to make things look easy, six tenths up on the field. She remains in search of Amanda Reason’s national record, set in 2009, which she brushed up against with a 30.28 in prelims.
Second was Alexanne Lepage in 31.03. Shona Branton was third in 31.17, and 16-year-old Maelle Sanborn was the only other swimmers to break 32 seconds with a time of 31.84.
Men’s 50 breaststroke
Oliver Dawson, who set the national record in May after a long chase, was within four tenths of that Tuesday night with his winning time of 27.65. He needed all of it to edge Javier Acevedo by .03 seconds for the victory.
Brayden Taivassalo finished third in 27.84, followed by Apollo Hess in 28.01 and Sebastian Van De Logt in 28.09.
Paraswimming events
Aurelie Rivard picked up another win in the women’s multiclass 400 freestyle with a time of 4:42.75. She edged fellow S10 Mary Jibb’s 4:50.96.
The 200 free was won by Emma Van Dyk, an S14 swimmer who went 2:28.41. She edged fellow S14 Miori Henault.
Reid Maxwell and Nicolas Bennett added wins on the men’s side. Maxwell, an S8, went 4:29.03 to win the men’s 400 free, just over five seconds slower than his Canadian record. The S14 Bennett went 1:54.78 in the 200 free, 1.17 seconds slower than his Canadian mark.