Young-gun Penny Oleksiak is just days out from her first Olympic Games at 16-years-old where she’s the youngest member of the Canadian squad and will be competing in the most amount of events.
These Olympics won’t just be her first Games, they mark her first senior international competition, placing her in unchartered waters with competitors she’s never been up against.
“I have all the distractions that I need right now,” said Oleksiak. “It’s making it way less stressful and I’m thinking way less about Rio and how big it’s going to be.”
In the latest entry lists for the Games, Oleksiak was seeded eighth in the 100m freestyle and seventh in the 100m butterfly with the times she swam at Canadian Trials in April.
Since then, Oleksiak has been very close to her junior world record of 53.31 in the 100m freestyle. Since trials while in heavy training, Oleksiak has thrown down four sub 54-second swims in the 100 free.
At the Arena Pro Swim Series in Charlotte this past May, Oleksiak came very close to her Canadian record with a 53.41 performance. Heading into the Games, it’s all about getting faster.
“Whatever I can fix in the next 12 days I’m going to try to fix it and just getting ready to get to Rio,” said Oleksiak.
Oleksiak is currently fine-tuning and preparing for the Games at team Canada’s staging camp at her home pool in Toronto.
“I’m not really nervous at all right now,” said Oleksiak. “I think that the team’s really helping everyone and the support staff…just keeping it pretty light…nobodies really stressed right now.”
Which relay(s) is she likely to swim in Rio?
Probably all of them. She is Canada’s second best 200 free swimmer, although she isn’t swimming that individually.
I would not be surprised to see her go sub 52 in 2020. She’s also great in the butterfly. Unfortunately, she’s probably a year too young to have a medal impact at these games, but in 2020 she’ll be a mega star.
Her athletic abilities at dry land exercise are similar to Ledecky’s ones. At her age Ledecky could make only two or three pull-ups. Is it a sing of coming greatness? 🙂
As one of titley’s swimmers, she will be able to do pull-ups soon. He will make sure of it!
Leisel Jones was also only able to do three pull ups max before she changed coach after 2004 Athens.
This young woman could be a real superstar – I’m talking Cate Campbell, Sarah Sjostrom, Missy Franklin superstar – for Canadian swimming for a long time!
She’s got tonnes of talent, a really good coach and a great family. FYI, her two siblings are no slouches – from an athletic perspective – either: Her older brother is a 6’9″ defenceman in the Dallas Stars system and her older sister is a NCAA Div 1 varsity rower.
This is just the beginning. I have a feeling the Canadian women’s relays in 2020 will be where the Aussies are now. On that front I just noticed Rebecca Smith has left Red Deer for Cascade.