37 Facts About Penny Oleksiak

Penny Oleksiak rose to fame during the 2016 Summer Olympics, where she became the first Canadian to win four medals in the same Summer Games, and the country's youngest Olympic champion with her gold medal win in the 100 m freestyle.

Penny Oleksiak was the first athlete born in the 2000s to claim an Olympic gold medal in an individual event.

Penny Oleksiak's success led to her being awarded the 2016 Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete, the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada's top female athlete for 2016, and a member of the Canadian Press team of the year.

Widely considered the face of a resurgent Canadian women's swimming team in the 2010s, Penny Oleksiak is Canada's most decorated athlete at the World Aquatics Championships and a multi-medallist at the World Swimming Championships, World Junior Championships, and Commonwealth Games.

Penny Oleksiak attempted to join several swim clubs in Toronto, but was rejected due to having trouble swimming the length of pool.

Penny Oleksiak was eventually taken in by coach Gary Nolden at the Toronto Olympian Swim Team, where she gained the foundation that started her swimming career.

Penny Oleksiak would compete for Canada's swimming team at the Rio 2016 Olympics in five races.

Penny Oleksiak started out fast, touching the halfway wall in third before finishing characteristically strong in second place, winning the silver medal.

Penny Oleksiak became the first Canadian to ever win a medal on each of the first two days of the Olympics.

On day six, Penny Oleksiak was seventh at the 50-metre turn of the 100 m freestyle, and eventually surged for a gold medal finish, tied with Simone Manuel and setting an Olympic record of 52.70.

Penny Oleksiak is the youngest Canadian to become an Olympic champion, the first to win four Summer Olympics medals in the same edition, and has the second most medals of the country in a single edition after Cindy Klassen in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Penny Oleksiak is the first athlete born in the 2000s to win an individual Olympic gold.

Just days before the closing ceremony, Penny Oleksiak quietly returned to her home in Toronto for two days to go to Canada's Wonderland with her friends, before heading back to Rio.

In December 2016 Penny Oleksiak participated in the short course world championships in the Canadian city of Windsor.

Penny Oleksiak was given the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada's female athlete of the year, and was named in the team of the year, anchoring the Canadian women's swim team in Rio and Windsor.

Penny Oleksiak had troubles with a shoulder injury for most of the year before suffering a concussion when she was hit in the head with a medicine ball in the gym.

Penny Oleksiak competed at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Indianapolis.

Penny Oleksiak did not participate in any individual events, but swam in all five possible relay events helping Canada to win all five gold medals, breaking the junior world record and championship record in four of them.

In September 2017, Penny Oleksiak was named to Canada's 2018 Commonwealth Games team.

Penny Oleksiak became the first female global ambassador for Phelps Brand, a swim gear company co-founded by famed Olympian Michael Phelps.

Penny Oleksiak came second at the 200 m trial, finishing behind 14-year-old training partner Summer McIntosh.

Penny Oleksiak next competed in the 200 m freestyle, an event she had not participated in during Rio Olympics.

Penny Oleksiak had the fourth-fastest time in the heats, but only sixth in the semi-finals.

Penny Oleksiak next competed in the 100 m freestyle, where she had won gold four years prior.

Penny Oleksiak had performed the butterfly leg of the relay in Rio, but in Tokyo that was assigned to Maggie Mac Neil, with Penny Oleksiak anchoring the freestyle leg.

Penny Oleksiak, who had worked with Titley for most of the preceding ten years, acknowledged the change was "different" now, but said she had "a lot of faith and trust" in new head coach Ryan Mallette.

Penny Oleksiak nevertheless finished second in the 200 m race, behind Summer McIntosh and ahead of Taylor Ruck.

Penny Oleksiak was second as well in the 100 m trial, 0.02 behind Kayla Sanchez.

Penny Oleksiak posted the third-fastest time in the heats of the 200 m freestyle, but was disqualified in the semi-final after starting too quickly off the blocks.

Penny Oleksiak finished fourth in the event final, which she said was "a bit frustrating," noting another missed turn.

Penny Oleksiak announced that she would not compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, citing the compression of the international swimming calendar as a result of the pandemic.

Penny Oleksiak immediately underwent knee surgery at Women's College Hospital in Toronto to repair it, and stated that the recovery process was "probably about to be the longest and most tentative" of her career.

Penny Oleksiak did not attend the national swim trials while continuing to rehabilitate her knee, but was nevertheless provisionally named to the Canadian delegation for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.

Penny Oleksiak competed at the 2023 US Open Swimming Championships in November, but sustained a new knee injury there that would subsequently require surgery.

The national Olympic swimming trials began with disappointment for Penny Oleksiak, who finished ninth in the 200 m freestyle final and missed qualification for the event.

Penny Oleksiak went on to win the 100 m freestyle with a time of 53.66, coming 0.05 seconds short of the Olympic qualifying time to guarantee a competitive berth in the individual event.

Penny Oleksiak was born to immigrant parents, a Polish American father and a Scottish mother, and is the youngest of five siblings, one of whom is NHL defenceman Jamie Penny Oleksiak, who plays for the Seattle Kraken.