Speedo Canadian Open: Ingrid Wilm Outduels Taylor Ruck in 100 Back
Ingrid Wilm outdueled Taylor Ruck Thursday in a battle of Olympians to open the Speedo Canadian Swimming Open.
Wilm went 1:00.62, edging Ruck’s time of 1:01.20. Teen Madison Kryger finished third in 1:01.41 in the opening evening session at the Edmonton Kinsmen Sports Centre. The automatic qualification time for the 2025 World Championships in Singapore is 1:00.46 on the women’s side.
The meet in Edmonton is a tune-up for bigger events over the next few months, building to the June 7-12 Canadian Swimming Trials in Victora. Among the major names missing this week are American collegians like Josh Liendo, Ilya Kharun and Tristan Jankovics, while Canadian veterans like Penny Oleksiak and Kylie Masse are also not taking part.
The first night of the meet featured four meet records. Blake Tierney lowered the men’s 100 back mark in both prelims and finals, going 55.12 in the morning at 54.79 at night to win. Swimming Canada’s male breakout swimmer of the year for 2024 has a best time of 53.48.
He was a half-second up on Ethan Ekk, who went 55.28 to take second place. Cole Pratt was third in 55.55.
Oliver Dawson set the meet record in the 50 breaststroke with a time of 27.98. He bested Apollo Hess, who was second in 28.23, a time which matched Finlay Knox’s meet record from 2024. Antonie Suave likewise downed Knox’s mark from last year by going 1:48.21 to win the 200 freestyle. Ekk was second in 1:48.51 with Pratt fifth.
On the women’s side, Ella Jansen went 2:10.85 to win the 200 butterfly. That was a second quicker than the meet record from 2024 set by Mabel Zavaros.
Mary-Sophie Harvey delivered a blistering winning time of 1:56.46. That’s inside the World A cut of 1:58.23. Sylvia Statkevicius was second in1 :59.58, with Kryger third and Emma O’Croinin fourth.
Alexanne LePage won the women’s 400 individual medley in 4:53.77. Shona Branton went 31.21 in the 50 breast to edge out Sophie Agnus by a half-second. LePage was third with Sydney Pickrem fourth.
Zachary McLeod won the men’s 200 fly in 2:03.93. The women’s 1,500 free went to Abigail McLeod in 17:11.36, while the men’s race was won by Aiden Kirk in 15:52.65. Kirk also won the 400 IM in 4:30.83 on the front end of a daunting doubleheader.