Penny Oleksiak just misses qualifying for 100m freestyle Olympic event

Devin Heroux · CBC Sports

· Posted: Jun 22, 2024 2:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 22

Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak’s bid to qualify for an individual event at her third Olympics has fallen just short. 

Oleksiak was in Rome this weekend competing at the Sette Colli International meet with the hopes of posting a fast enough time in the 100-metre freestyle to qualify for the event at Paris 2024. 

The 24-year-old from Toronto needed to swim below the Olympic A qualifying standard of 53.61 seconds. However, in the B Final of the event she recorded a time of 53.77 – once again agonizingly close to the time needed.

Fellow Canadian swimmer Mary-Sophie Harvey placed seventh in the A Final in a time of 54.69.

In the preliminary swims earlier in the day Oleksiak, recorded a time of 55.18, placing her sixth in the heat. She was third at the turn as the sun blasted down on the pool at the outdoor venue in Rome.

In the B Final, Oleksiak was first to touch the wall at the 50m turn in a time of 25.94, and ultimately finished in 53.77, which won the race but wasn’t quite enough to get her under the time needed.

The Sette Colli International is a World Aquatics sanctioned event, which means results at the meet can go towards Olympic qualification.

Oleksiak and Harvey have both already qualified for Paris 2024 – Oleksiak will play a key role in the Canadian relay teams, as well as Harvey.

Oleksiak won’t swim in any individual events in Paris

As Canada’s most decorated Olympian, Oleksiak, was looking to qualify individually for the 100 free, the same event Oleksiak won gold in at the 2016 Rio Games.

She shot to superstardom at those Olympics as a 16-year-old, winning four medals. Five years later at the Tokyo Games she won three more medals, making her the most decorated Canadian Olympian with seven total medals.

Since then, however, Oleksiak has been battling injuries including another knee surgery just months ago.

At the Canadian trials in May, Oleksiak won the 100 free event in a time of 53.66. While the victory secured a spot on the relay team, Oleksiak was visibly disappointed. She was just .05 off the qualifying standard.

After that race Oleksiak told CBC Sports she would do everything she could to secure an individual spot.

WATCH | Oleksiak finishes 1st in women’s 100m freestyle:

CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux and Brittany MacLean recap Day 5 of the Canadian swim trials and outline what to look forward to on Day 6.

She is the Canadian record holder in the 100 freestyle with a time of 52.59 that she posted at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

This past fall, Oleksiak took her training south of the border, opting to train in California with the hope of returning to form ahead of trials and the Olympics.

She joined a pro swimming club in the Los Angeles area where she switched up her training program. 

And it seemed to be working.

At the Canadian Open in the middle of April, Oleksiak went 54.43 in the 100 free. It was her first competition in Canada in nearly two years.

At trials, her time of 53.66 was her best finish in the race since the 2022 world championships in Budapest.

Oleksiak and Harvey aren’t the only Canadian swimmers in competition this weekend with about a month to go until the start of Paris 2024.

A number of swimmers also part of Team Canada heading to the Olympics are in Vancouver this weekend competing in the Mel Zajac. Jr. International meet, including Maggie Mac Neil, Josh Liendo, Taylor Ruck, Finlay Knox and Ilya Kharun. 

Swimming at the Olympics begins the day after the opening ceremony on July 27th.