16 year old Penny Oleksiak has become Canada’s first gold medalist of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Oleksiak has been building to this moment since the first night of competition where she won bronze as part of the women’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay. On Sunday she took the silver in the 100 butterfly, on Wednesday she won another bronze as part of the women’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay and tonight she tied American Simone Manuel for the gold in the 100 freestyle.
“This is amazing, to tie for a gold,” said Oleksiak. “I never thought I’d win a gold. She (Simone Manuel) deserves it as much as me. It means so much.”
As of the end of the swimming events on Thursday evening the Canadian Olympic team has earned seven medals across all events, which include a bronze in the women’s rugby sevens and the women’s synchronized 10 meter platform. Oleksiak has contributed to more than half of the country’s medals so far.
In 2012 the Canadians had to wait through the first week before Rosie MacLennan won the country’s first and only gold medal of the Games in the women’s trampoline event. In 2016 the nation gets to celebrate a little earlier as their first gold came on day six of the Games.
Oleksiak’s gold is also the first in the pool in 24 years. The last swimmer to win gold at an Olympic Games was Mark Tewksbury who took the men’s 100 backstroke at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. On CBC’s telecast tonight there was no one more excited than Tewksbury who told the viewers that, “There is nothing more exciting than seeing the next generation succeed.”
Penny is the future of women’s swimming internationally. I can’t wait to see what she will do!
Mark Twerksburys reaction to the 4×100 bronze was priceless so I can only imagine his reaction to Penny’s gold – must find the video!
Awesome race for Penny!!!