Taylor Ruck of Kelowna, B.C., has advanced to the women’s semifinals in her first Olympic 50-metre freestyle swimming competition.
The 24-year-old touched the wall in 24.57 seconds, tying Wu Qingfeng of China for third in their heat and eighth of 16 swimmers for Saturday’s semifinals at 2:39 p.m. ET at La Defense Arena in Nanterre, France.
“[It was] just one lap, not a lot to worry about. I’m definitely excited for [the] semis,” Ruck told Devin Heroux of CBC Sports.
The fun had by the Canadian women’s swimmers in Paris has led to success, led by Summer McIntosh and her trio of medal performances.
“I’m super grateful to be here [and my teammates] just inspire me so much to give it all in the pool,” Ruck said. “Feeling that energy from the crowd, from your teammates, you couldn’t ask for more.”
Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden was the top qualifier in 23.85.
The Olympic record in the event is held by Australia’s Emma McKeon (23.81) from July 31, 2021 in Tokyo.
All four of Ruck’s Olympic medals have been earned in relay races, two apiece in Rio (2016) and Tokyo.
She qualified for the 50 free in Paris with a 25.14 effort at Canadian trials in May and was fifth at the World Aquatics Championships earlier this year.
Narrow medal miss
Her lone medal podium finish in the event at a major championship is silver from the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Last Saturday, Ruck was a member of the Canadian women’s 100 free relay team that finished fourth in the final, 2.69 seconds shy of the bronze medallists from China.
In women’s relay action, Ingrid Wilm, Sophie Angus, Mary-Sophie Harvey and Penny Oleksiak won their 100m medley heat in three minutes 56.10 seconds, defeating the United States by 3-10ths of a second.
The Canadians qualified second behind Australia (3:54.81) for Sunday’s final at 1:32 p.m. ET.
Canada picked up medley relay bronze at the Tokyo Olympics with a 3:52.60 effort.
With Canada second after the first leg Saturday, Angus starred in the breaststroke, putting her team in the lead after 200 metres by 38-100ths of a second over Great Britain.
The Canadians slipped to second behind Japan after Harvey’s fly while anchor Oleksiak found herself in a head-to-head battle with American Kate Douglass late in the freestyle.
For Angus, her 1:06.07 split time in the breaststroke is the fastest in Canadian history.
“I was a little disappointed earlier in the week with my individual swim, so to get a redemption swim makes me feel good about the group swimming [Sunday],” she said.
Marchand, France tops in medley relay heats
Meanwhile, their men’s counterparts — Blake Tierney, Finlay Knox, Ilya Kharun and Javier Acevedo — qualified seventh of eight teams for Sunday’s final (1:10 p.m.).
Acevedo anchored Canada to a three-minute 32.33-second finish for fourth in the heats.
France, led by Leon Marchand, was tops in qualifying at 3:31.36.
Spain was disqualified in the second of two heats and that allowed Germany to advance to the final.
“In relays you have one-quarter of the job to do and have to give it 100 per cent … and that’s what all of us did,” said Knox.
Added Tierney: “We all had to have a perfect swim to make the final and I think we all did a great job.”
The Canadians were seventh (3:32.42) in the Tokyo final three years ago.
On Saturday, Canada was fifth in its heat after Tierney’s opening backstroke and dropped to seventh after Knox swam the breaststroke. But Kharun, who on Tuesday became the first Canadian man to medal in the 200 butterfly at the Olympics, pushed his team to fifth entering Acevedo’s anchor leg.
“Ilya Kharun had an incredible butterfly,” CBC Sports analyst Byron MacDonald said during the broadcast. “If Canada makes it through [to the semis] it’s going to be because of [Kharun].”
WATCH l McIntosh wins her 3rd Olympic medal in Paris on Thursday:
Toronto’s Summer McIntosh won the women’s 200-metre butterfly title, capturing her second gold and third medal overall at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
In other swimming action later Saturday, McIntosh races the 200 medley final at 3:08 p.m., a showdown that also features Australia’s Kaylee McKeown and Douglass. Canada’s Sydney Pickrem also qualified.
After taking silver in the women’s 400 freestyle, McIntosh won the 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly to become the first Canadian woman to capture multiple swimming gold medals at the same Olympics.
McIntosh could also swim in the mixed 4×100 medley final at 3:58 p.m., and might be in one more relay on Sunday, the last day of swimming competition.
Canada also has two swimmers in the men’s 100 butterfly at 2:30 p.m. Josh Liendo is a two-time world-championship medallist in this event, while Kharun took bronze in the 200 fly on Wednesday.
Source Agencies
