Editorial content for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships is sponsored by FINIS, a longtime partner of Swimming World and leading innovator of suits, goggles and equipment. After ‘Bumpy’ Spring, Taylor Ruck Grateful to Be at Worlds It has been, in her words, a “bumpy” summer for Taylor Ruck. The Canadian Olympic medalist had hoped to parlay an excellent NCAA season, which included repeating as 200 freestyle champion, into a strong summer for the national team. But a broken hand in the spring and a need to “unplug” and reset has led to a diminished workload at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. For now, that’s fine with Ruck, whose eyes are on bigger targets next year in Paris. “It definitely has been a bumpy season, for my life,” Ruck said Sunday, adding a laugh. “But I’m just so happy to be here and spending time with the team and representing Canada. I feel like it’s definitely a shift in perspective and I’m really enjoying it. It’s making me more grateful than ever to be on the team.” Ruck started out strong in Japan, where she’s limited to relay duty. She swam prelims of the 400 free relay, anchoring in 54.16 to get the Canadians into the final. She was quicker on the evening anchor in 53.99, though she was passed by Marrit Steenbergen’s torrid 51.84 as the Dutch jumped from seventh to sixth at Canada’s expense. Ruck is the owner of four career Olympic medals – one silver, three bronze, all in relays. Because of the spring’s adversity, she’s consigned to that role exclusively in Fukuoka. “I’m happy with these performances,” Ruck said. “I pleasantly surprised myself and we’ll see what other races I have in store for this meet. Right now, I’m just super grateful to be here.” Ruck has surmounted so much adversity. She went public in late 2021 about her struggles with disordered eating. Her form dipped around the pandemic training interruptions, and she’s refashioned herself as more focused on freestyle after great success as a backstroker in her youth. The broken hand, sustained in a skateboarding accident in April, dented the momentum she built at NCAAs. She skipped Canadian trials but was selected to the team anyway. She had hoped to return to action first at Mare Nostrum, then the George Haines International, but both were delayed. Given the other absences in the team, with Penny Oleksiak dealing with an knee injury and Sydney Pickrem passing on Fukuoka for personal reasons, there’s a pressing need for her relay prowess as the program tries to cope with the defection of Kayla Sanchez to the Philippines. Ruck will likely anchor the 400 medley and take part in the 800 free in addition to mixed relay possibilities. All the interruptions mean Ruck isn’t where she’d like to be in terms of speed. But Fukuoka isn’t her end goal. At 23, having lived a long swimming life, she has seen enough to know the difference. “I could be in better shape, that’s for sure,” she said. “And my details, I’m just trying to focus on what I can control – turns, breakouts, underwaters, starts. The in speed, 100 and 200, should come next year, hopefully with a better, not brokeneness.”
