Penny Oleksiak breaks Canadian record with 7th career Olympic medal
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Penny Oleksiak is officially Canada’s most decorated Olympic athlete of all time.
The 21-year-old captured her seventh career medal on Sunday morning in Tokyo, winning bronze in the women’s 4x100m medley relay. Oleksiak teamed up with Kylie Masse, Sydney Pickrem and Maggie Mac Neil to reach the podium.
Australia captured gold in the event while the United States earned Silver.
Clara Hughes and Cindy Klassen held the previous record for Canadian Olympians with six medals apiece.
After falling short of setting the record earlier in the 4x200m freestyle relay and 100m freestyle, Oleksiak was asked how she felt about setting the record with her teammates.
“I said earlier, I honestly am glad I didn’t win it on an individual because this just makes it like 10 times sweeter,” she told CBC. “Knowing that I’ve accomplished this history with girls that are also making history. And this is only the beginning for Team Canada in swimming and we were young in 2016, and we’re still young, we’re going to hit our peak soon. 2024, 2028 we’re on the come-up and I love that.”
Penny Oleksiak had another Olympics to remember. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Oleksiak has represented Canada in two Olympics, Rio 2016 and now Tokyo 2020. In Rio, Oleksiak earned bronze in both freestyle relay 4x100m and freestyle relay 4x200m, silver in 100m butterfly, and gold in 100m freestyle. In Tokyo, she secured bronze in freestyle 200m, silver in freestyle relay 4x100m and bronze in the 4x100m medley relay.
The 4x100m medley relay was the final women’s swimming event of the Olympics, meaning Oleksiak made Canadian history on her final chance to do so in Tokyo.
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