Penny Oleksiak

Canadian swimmer who became her country's most decorated Olympian ever, winning gold in the 100m freestyle at Rio 2016 as a 16-year-old.

Born in Toronto on June 13, 2000, to Polish-Canadian father Richard and Jamaican-Canadian mother Alicia, Oleksiak began swimming competitively at age nine with the Toronto Swim Club. Her mixed heritage would later make her a symbol of Canada's multicultural identity in sport. Growing up in Scarborough, she balanced academics with intensive training, gradually emerging as a standout talent in freestyle and butterfly events during her early teenage years. Oleksiak's breakthrough came dramatically at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where at just 16 years old she became Canada's youngest Olympic champion. Her gold medal performance in the 100-meter freestyle saw her tie the world record time, sharing victory with Australia's Cate Campbell. More remarkably, she collected four medals total at those Games—gold, silver, and two bronze—making her the first Canadian to achieve such a feat at a single Summer Olympics. She continued competing at elite level through the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, adding three more medals to her collection. Her eight Olympic medals represent the most won by any Canadian athlete in history, surpassing previous records held by athletes from various sports. The 100-meter freestyle world record tie remains one of the most memorable moments in Canadian Olympic history, achieved in a race decided by mere hundredths of a second. Her versatility across multiple swimming disciplines, from sprint freestyle to butterfly events, demonstrated exceptional range for a swimmer of any age. Oleksiak's impact extends beyond medal counts to her role in elevating swimming's profile in Canada and inspiring a new generation of swimmers. Her success helped secure increased funding and attention for Canadian swimming programs. As one of the most recognizable faces of Canadian sport, she demonstrated that teenage athletes could compete successfully against seasoned international competitors, reshaping expectations about youth development in elite swimming.

Explosive sprinter with exceptional closing speed

Transformed Canadian swimming and inspired generation of athletes

• 2016 Olympic gold, 100m freestyle
• most Olympic medals by any Canadian athlete (7)