Ruck sets new Canadian record, Masse selected as Pan Pacific MVP
On the last day of the Pan Pacific Championship, Taylor Ruck won silver in the 200m backstroke and Yuri Kisil swam to bronze in 50m freestyle. Kylie Masse was also named female MVP swimmer.
Ruck set a new Canadian record, becoming the first Canadian to win five medals at a Pan Pacific Championship, breaking a seven-way tie. She swam the 200-m race in 2:06.41, finishing between two Americans, winner Kathleen Baker (2:06.14) and bronze medallist Regan Smith (2:06.46). Masse finished in fourth with at time of 2:07.00.
Canada’s Ruck Taylor, right, checks her time as she won the women’s 200m freestyle final at the Pan Pacific swimming championships in Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. At left is second placed Japan’s Rikako Ikee.(AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
Earlier in Pan Pacific Championship, Ruck won gold in the women’s 200-m freestyle, along with bronze medals in 100-m freestyle and the 4×100-m and 4×200-m free relays
On Sunday, Ruck came close to reaching the podium in two other events, finishing fourth in the 50-m freestyle in 24.47s, and finishing fourth in the women’s medley relay race.
U.S. swimmer Michael Andrew, center, poses with his medal on the podium after winning the men’s 50m freestyle final, with second-placed Caeleb Dressel of the U.S., left, and third-placed Yuri Kisil of Canada, during the Pan Pacific swimming championships in Tokyo, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018.(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
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Kisil earned the first men’s medal for Canada in the 50-m freestyle. He finished third with a personal best of 22.02s, winning his first international medal.
He said of his swim: “It’s a big deal. I’ve wanted to get on the podium individually for a long time. To finally do it here means the world. I had a lot of great experiences here and hopefully we’ll be back in two years.”
Canada’s Kylie Masse, center, celebrates after winning the women’s 100m backstroke final during the Pan Pacific swimming championships in Tokyo, Friday, Aug.10, 2018.(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
Masse was named female swimmer MVP of the Pan Pacific Championship. She is won the 100m backstroke final earlier in the week. Masse beat former world champion Australian Emily Seebohm and previous world-record holder Kathleen Baker of the United States. At the 2016 Olympic Games, Masse won the bronze medal in the 100m event.
Canada won a total of eight medals at the Pan Pacific Championships, surpassing its 2014 total. The Pan Pacific Championships served as a test event for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
