Penny Oleksiak is a competitive swimmer who represents Canada internationally. She is a 2x Olympian and an Olympic champion in the 100 free.
Background
Canadian born Penny Oleksiak starting turning heads when she was just 12. Swimming for Toronto Swim Club, under coach Bill O’Toole, Oleksiak has been racking up the medals. Raised in an athletic family, Oleksiak’s brother plays professional hockey for the Dallas Stars, and her sister is a competitive rower at Northeastern University.
National/International Competition
Oleksiak represented Canada at the 2015 Australian Age Group Championship where she tallied eight medals. At the 2015 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, won silver in the 100m freestyle, losing to Taylor Ruck who set a new Championship Record, 54.65 and 53.92 respectively. She also swam impressive 50m (26.45) and 100m butterflies (58.50), again taking silver in both. The gold medal winner, Rikako Ikee, had to set wo new records to stand on top of the podium.
At the Speedo Eastern Canadian Open in February of 2016, she swam notable times in the 50m freestyle, 25.47, 100m butterfly, 58.44, and 200m butterfly, 2:14.40.
Going into the Canadian Olympic Trials, which start April 5th, Oleksiak is seeded third in the 100m butterfly, seventh in the 200m freestyle, 1:59.92, sixth in the 100m freestyle, 54.51, and 13th in the 50m freestyle. Depending on how Canada picks their swimmers for individual and relay events, we may see this youngster in Rio.
Canadian Olympic Trials
Oleksiak earned a spot on the Canadian Olympic team by winning the 100 M butterfly and setting a new Canadian Record. Her 56.99 is the 5th fastest in the world this year. A remarkable feat for a 15 year old who has only been swimming for five years. Additionally, Oleksiak qualified for the Olympics by winning the 100M Free with a Canadian Record of 53.31, well ahead of the Olympic Qualifying time of 54.43. Oleksiak will likely be on at least two Canadian relays in Rio.
2016 Rio Olympics
The youngster proved she is a not only a force for the future, but also an Olympic medalist today. Oleksiak won the silver medal finishing behind World Record Sarah Sjostrom., with a time of 56.46. Oleksiak also tied Simone Manuel in the 100m Freestyle taking home Canada’s first swimming gold medal since Mark Tewksbury in 1992. Manuel and Oleksiak set an Olympic Record in the 100M Free. The youngest Canadian Gold medallist for Canada, Oleksiak also became the first Canadian athlete to win four medals at a single summer Games. Anchoring the 4x100m freestyle relay to bronze, Oleksiak and teammate Taylor Ruck became the first ever Olympic medallists born in the 21st century. They added another bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay and Oleksiak also won silver in the 100m butterfly.
2016 FINA World SCM Championships
Oleksiak finished third in the 100M Free with a time of 52.01, just .20 behind first place finisher, Brittany Elmslie of Australia. Combining with Team Canada mates Michelle Williams, Sandrine Manville, and Taylor Ruck, the foursome won Gold in the 4X50M Free Relay, and then combined again with Ruck, Katerine Savard and Kennedy Goss to win another Gold in the 4X200M Free Relay.In the 4X100M Medley Relay, Oleksiak and the team of Kylie Masse, Rachel Nicol and Katerine Savard won Silver.
2017 World Championships
Oleksiak finished sixth in the 100m Freestyle clocking 52.94 in the finals. About an hour later she swam the semifinals of the 50m butterfly where she set a new Canadian Record of 25.66. In the finals of the 50m butterfly, Oleksiak lowered her record to 25.62 and finished fifth.
In the 4x100m Mixed Medley Relay, Oleksiak helped Team Canada to a bronze medal. Swimming the butterfly leg, Oleksiak teamed with Kylie Masse, Richard Funk and Yuri Kisil to finish just 0.04 seconds behind the second place winning Aussies.
In the 100m butterfly, Oleksiak finished fourth behind Sarah Sjostrom, Emma McKeon and Kelsi Worrell with a time of 56.94.
Swimming the anchor on Canada’s 4x100m Mixed freestyle relay, Oleksiak split a 53.11 to help teamnmates Yuri Kisil, Javier Acevedo and Chantel Van Landeghem secure the bronze medal.
2017 World Junior Championships
On night 1 Penny helped set a world junior record in the 4x200m free relay, splitting a 1:56.86 en route to Canada’s 7:51.47.
2019 World Championships
Oleksiak started her world championships in the women’s 4×100 free relay, where she split 52.69 on the 3rd leg to help Canada get a bronze medal.
On Day 5, after scratching the 100 free, Oleksiak raced in the 4×200 free relay, where she split 1:54.36 to help Canada to a new National record and a bronze medal.
On Day 8, Oleksiak finished her program with the 4×100 medley relay, anchoring in a 52.48 to help Canada win yet another relay bronze medal.
2020 Olympic Games
Oleksiak started her 2020 Games off anchoring the 4×100 free relay for Canada. A tried and true relay swimmer, Oleksiak split a 52.26, pulling Canada from 4th place to 2nd at the finish and helping her team to a silver medal.
On Day 3 in prelims, Penny continued her stellar performances, throwing down a huge best time of 1:55.38 in the 200 free. After moving through semis, Oleksiak swam a gutsy swim in the final, swimming out ahead and maintaining a 3rd place position at the finish, touching for bronze and her first individual medal at these Games.
Oleksiak once again qualified for the 100 free final, swimming a personal best and Canadian record time of 52.59 to finish 4th overall, faster than what she went in Rio 5 years prior to win the event.
Penny finished her meet as the anchor for the 400 medley relay, splitting 52.26 to help Canada take a bronze in the event.
2022 World Championships
Penny once again played an integral role on Canadian relays in Budapest. She started by anchoring the 400 free relay, where she split 52.51 to secure silver for Canada. Throughout the meet, she also anchored the 800 free relay (1:55.83, bronze), mixed 400 free relay (52.11, silver), and 400 medley relay (52.65).
Individually, she swam the 100 free, making it to the final and ultimately placing 4th in 52.98.
2024 Canadian Olympic Trials (Toronto, Canada)
Oleksiak had a bit of a rough go of it on her quest for a 3rd Olympics. In the 200 free, Oleksiak was second at the 100 in 56.70, but couldn’t hang with the rest of the field on the second 100 and finished outside of relay consideration in 9th with a 2:00.18.
In the 100 free, Oleksiak was just .05 seconds off the Olympic ‘A’ standard with a 53.66, her fastest 100 free since the 2022 World Championships (52.98). While she missed an individual bid, Oleksiak was added for the 400 free relay and presumably the 400 medley relay. Olkesiak later tried again for the ‘A’ cut at the Sette Colli Trophy in June but was off in both of her attempts, clocking a 53.77 and a 53.86.
2024 Canadian Olympic Trials (Toronto, Canada)
After finishing 3rd in the 100 breast (1:07.27) and dropping the 400 IM, Pickrem earned qualification in the 200 breast, winning by just .01 seconds over Kelsey Wog with a 2:23.79. Both swimmers finished just under the Olympic ‘A’ cut of 2:23.91, meaning Pickrem was headed to her 3rd Olympics.
In the 200 IM, Pickrem stunned the crowd by taking the lead with a blistering 36.29 breaststroke leg, but Summer McIntosh rallied on the final freestyle leg to pull off a comeback victory. Pickrem’s time was a new lifetime best of 2:07.68. She dropped almost a full second off her previous-best 2:08.56 from February’s World Championships in Doha, Qatar, where she won a silver medal.
“The 200 IM has always been my baby,” Pickrem said. “I’ve been on the team for a decade, which is a long time.
“I don’t even know if you’ve been swimming a decade,” Pickrem joked at McIntosh. “I had a lot of people doubting my ability for this one so I’m excited for it.”
