Taylor Ruck to miss Canadian swimming trials, taking short break from sport

Canada's Taylor Ruck won't be in the pool at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre this week. 

The 22-year-old announced on Sunday that she will not compete at the Canadian swimming trials, as she will be taking a short break from swimming.

"I need to put myself in the best position to perform to my goals at the Olympics next year," Ruck said. "Right now, that means I need to unplug for a little while, so I can come back refreshed and ready to be at my best in the pool."

A student-athlete with Stanford University, Ruck won the NCAA title in the women's 200-yard freestyle event on March 18, her second in as many seasons, but after training in Toronto to prepare for trials she realized she was too exhausted to continue.

Ruck also represented Canada at the short course world championships last December in Melbourne, Australia.

"We need to keep the long-term best interests of each individual athlete at the forefront. With so many events on the calendar last year, and between now and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, not every swimmer is going to be able to swim them all," said Swimming Canada high-performance director and national coach John Atkinson. 

Atkinson expects Ruck to be back in time for a Canadian training camp in Mallorca, Spain, ahead of the Mare Nostrum Swim Tour in May. 

The Canadian swimming trials take over the Pan Am Sports Centre from March 28 to April 2. 

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