Taylor Ruck, a 16-year-old from Kelowna, raced to bronze in the 200-metre freeestyle in Windsor, Ontario, at the FINA world short-course swimming championships on Tuesday.
Ruck was ecstatic after her bronze medal swim.
“It’s just amazing,” she said. “I didn’t even come to this meet expecting to place in finals, and all of a sudden third in finals, so I’m just really happy with how I did.”
Ruck, who won a pair of relay bronze medals in her Olympic debut in Rio, touched the wall in one minute 52.50 seconds. Italy’s Federica Pellegrini won the gold in 1:51.73, while Katinka Hosszu of Hungary claimed silver in 1:52.28.
Canadian women won six medals in Rio, and Ruck said it’s been a whirlwind for the young swimmers.
“It’s like all of a sudden, in a snap, a blink of an eye, it’s all on you and you don’t really expect it,” she said. “It’s great in the moment.”
The swim meet is being held at the WFCU Centre, normally home to the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires.
“I love it,” Ruck said of the venue, that featured dramatic theatre lighting. “I’ve never competed in an ice hockey rink converted to a pool so it’s just a different experience and I love it.”
with files from The Canadian Press
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