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Taylor Ruck of Scottsdale opened at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships with a gold-medal swim and win over American Katie Ledecky.
Ruck, 18, who represents Canada and trains in Toronto, won the 200-meter freestyle in Tokyo in 1:54.44 (fastest in the world this year), ahead of Japan’s Rikako Ikee (1:54.85) and Ledecky (1:55.15).
Ledecky won the 800 free before swimming in the 200. She is the world record holder in 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyle.
Ledecky recently turned professional after swimming two years at Stanford, where Ruck will begin her college career this fall.
Allison Schmitt, who trains with Pitchfork Aquatics in Tempe, was fourth in the 200 free in 1:56.71. Leah Smith of Tucson was fourth in the B final.
Chloe Isleta of Arizona State swam for the Philippines on the fifth-place 4×100 mixed medley relay.
Taylor Ruck moves back into major swimming spotlight at Pan Pacs
Taylor Ruck returns to the major international swimming spotlight this week at the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo.
Ruck, 18, of Scottsdale will represent Canada in a meet that includes the U.S., Australia, Japan and China. Competition is Thursday-Sunday at the Tatsumi International Swimming Center in Tokyo, which also hosts the 2020 Olympics.
In April, Ruck, who trains in Toronto, won eight medals at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, tying a single games record held by Ralph Hutton (1966) of Canada and Australians Susie O’Neill (1998) and Emily Seebohm (2010).
Ruck is entered in six individual events -— 200-meter freestyle, 100 free, 200 IM, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 50 free — and also will swim on relays. She won two relay bronze medals at the 2016 Olympics.
After the Pan Pacs, Ruck will begin her college career at Stanford.
Swimmers based in Arizona or with Arizona ties on the U.S. Pan Pac team are Matt Grevers, Leah Smith, Allison Schmitt and Margo Geer. Grevers and Smith, both of Tucson, and Schmitt, who trains in Tempe, are team captains along with Nathan Adrian.
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