National Teams

Senior National Team

Penelope Oleksiak

  • Age 23
  • Height 186 cm / 6 ftin
  • Club High Performance Centre - Ontario
  • Coach Ryan Mallette
  • Previous Coaches Ben Titley, Bill O'Toole
  • Hometown Toronto, ON
  • Residence Toronto, ON

National Team Highlights

EventFinalist
Budapest 2022 FINA World Championships225
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games124
Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships35
Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games36
Budapest 2017 FINA World Championships25
Rio 2016 Olympic Games1125
Windsor 2016 FINA World Championships (25 m)2115

Penelope’s Bio

  • At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Oleksiak became the most decorated Canadian Olympian of all time by earning three medals to bring her career total to seven. Oleksiak captured silver as a member of the 4×100-m freestyle team and broke the Canadian record with the women’s 4×100-m medley that brought home bronze. Individually, Oleksiak captured bronze in the 200-m freestyle in a personal best time, and broke the Canadian record in the 100-m freestyle where she finished fourth.
  • Oleksiak became Canada’s most decorated Canadian swimmer all-time at the FINA World Championships by earning four medals at the 2022 edition in Budapest to bring her career total to nine. She added two silver (4×100-m freestyle relay and mixed 4×100 freestyle relay) and two bronze (4×200-m freestyle relay and 4×100-m medley relay) to her collection. Individually, she finished fourth in the 100-m freestyle and competed in the 200-m freestyle but was disqualified in her semifinal.
  • At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games 16-year-old Penny Oleksiak won four medals including a gold in the 100-m freestyle. Her time was an Olympic record, Canadian record, and World Junior record.
  • She became the first Olympic champion born in the 2000s.
  • Oleksiak is the first Canadian swimmer to ever win four medals and the first Canadian summer Olympian to win four medals at a single Games.
  • Oleksiak also won a silver in the 100-m butterfly in Canadian record and world junior record time.
  • She also won two bronze medals as the anchor of the 4×100-m and 4×200-m freestyle relays. Both relays were Canadian records.
  • Oleksiak was selected as the flag bearer for Team Canada at the closing ceremonies for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
  • Penny Oleksiak was named the winner of the 2016 Lou Marsh Award, presented to Canada’s top athlete of the year.
  • Oleksiak was also awarded the CP Female Athlete of the Year for her incredible feats in 2016.
  • Oleksiak was Swimming Canada’s Female Swimmer of the Year in 2016.
  • Oleksiak finished atop the 2016 Canada Commonwealth Cup women’s standings.
  • At the 2019 FINA World Championships, Oleksiak captured bronze as a member of the 4×100-m freestyle, 4×200-m freestyle and 4×100-m medley team, all of which were Canadian records. Her performance brought her career world championships medal total to five, tied for most all-time among Canadian women with Kylie Masse. Individually, Oleksiak finished 6th in the 50-m butterfly and 200-m freestyle.
  • Oleksiak captured silver in both the 100-m and 200-m freestyle at the 2022 Bell Canadian Swimming Trials, qualifying her for the 2022 FINA World Championships and the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
  • Oleksiak was provisionally nominated for the 2020 Olympic Games for her performance in 2019. At the 2020 Olympic Trials Oleksiak won gold in the 100-m freestyle and captured silver in the 200-m freestyle.
  • At the 2019 Canadian Swimming Trials, Oleksiak won gold in the 200-m freestyle, and silver in the 100-m freestyle, to qualify for her second FINA World Championships.
  • At the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Oleksiak won three silver medals as a member of the 4×100-m medley, 4×100-m and 4×200-m freestyle relay teams. Individually, Oleksiak finished fourth in the 50-m and 100-m butterfly and fifth in the 100-m freestyle.
  • At the 2017 FINA World Junior Championships in Indianapolis, Oleksiak brought home five relay gold medals, which include the women’s 4×100-m medley, 4×100 free and 4×200 free as well as the mixed 4×100 free and 4×100 medley.
  • Oleksiak now has 11 total world junior championship medals and she is the second most decorated athlete at the competition.
  • At the 17th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Oleksiak was a member of the mixed 4×100-m freestyle and 4×100-m medley relay teams that won bronze in a Canadian record time.
  • At the same competition, Oleksiak finished fourth in the 100-m butterfly and sixth in the 100-m freestyle.
  • At the 2017 Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria, Oleksiak qualified for her first FINA World Championships with her two gold medals in the 100-m freestyle and 100-m butterfly events.
  • At the 2016 FINA World Swimming Championships (25-m) in Windsor, Ont., Oleksiak swam in six events including five relays. Individually, Oleksiak earned a bronze medal in the 100-m freestyle in a Canadian record time.
  • At the same competition, Oleksiak finished with two golds (4×50-m freestyle, 4×200-m freestyle) and a silver (4×100-m medley relay). Oleksiak, along with her teammates set new Canadian records in both the 4×50-m freestyle and 4×200-m freestyle relays. She was also a member of the 4×100-m freestyle that was disqualified and the 4×50-m medley relay that finished 4th.
  • At the 2016 Canadian Olympic & Para-Swimming Trials, Oleksiak won gold medals in the 100-m butterfly and 100-m freestyle, both in Canadian record time, and silver in the 200-m freestyle. She also established a junior world record in the 100-m freestyle. She was honoured as female swimmer of the meet, and was the youngest swimmer to qualify for the Olympic team at age 15.
  • At the 2015 FINA World Junior Championships, Oleksiak won six medals – one gold (mixed 4×100-m freestyle relay), four silver (100-m freestyle, 50-m butterfly, 100-m butterfly and 4×200-m freestyle relay), and one bronze (4×100-m freestyle relay).
  • 2019 ISL team: Energy Standard
  • Oleksiak learned how to swim at age 9 in a neighbour’s backyard pool.
  • Oleksiak’s brother, Jamie, is an NHL defenceman for the Dallas Stars, and her sister, Hayley, is a rower at Northeastern University.
  • She has spent time at a number of charity events promoting youth and girls in sport.
Quick Facts
  • Twitter: @OleksiakPenny
  • Instagram: @TypicalPen
  • Nickname: Penny
  • Favourite Movie: Little Mermaid
  • Favourite TV Show: Bob’s Burgers
  • Favourite Book: Milk and Honey
  • Favourite Band: Migos
  • Other Sport: Basketball
  • Hobbies: Read, eat and play with dogs
  • Good luck charm: Grey Blankie
  • Off season interests: Volleyball and tubing
  • Guilty Pleasure: McDonald’s

Penelope’s Personal Bests

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EventCourseTimeDateMeetStatusRecords
100m Freestyle Laps50mXXXII Olympic GamesRELAY
100m Freestyle50mXXXII Olympic Games---
200m Freestyle50mXXXII Olympic Games
200m Freestyle Laps50mFINA: 18th World ChampionshipsRELAY
50m Butterfly25mSwim Cup
50m Breaststroke25mDowntown Sprint Meet
200m Butterfly50m55th Annual Mel Zajac Jr. International
50m Freestyle50m26th International Meeting Uster
100m Butterfly Laps25mOntario Junior InternationalRELAY
50m Freestyle25mOntario Junior International---
100m Butterfly25mOntario Junior International
50m Butterfly50mFINA: 17th World Championships---
50m Freestyle Laps25mFINA: 13th World Short Course ChampionshipsRELAY
100m Freestyle Laps25mFINA: 13th World Short Course ChampionshipsRELAY
200m Freestyle Laps25mFINA: 13th World Short Course ChampionshipsRELAY
100m Freestyle25mFINA: 13th World Short Course Championships---
50m Butterfly Laps25mFINA: 13th World Short Course ChampionshipsRELAY
100m Butterfly Laps50mXXXI Olympic GamesRELAY
100m Butterfly50mXXXI Olympic Games---
50m Backstroke50m53. Trofeo Sette Colli
50m Freestyle Laps50mSpeedo Eastern Canadian OpenRELAY
200m Backstroke25mOntario Winter SC Championships
200m Medley25mOntario Winter SC Championships
100m Backstroke25mOntario Winter SC Championships
200m Butterfly25mOntario Junior International---
100m Backstroke50mAustralian Age Group Championships
200m Backstroke50mAustralian Age Group Championships
200m Medley50mAustralian Age Group Championships
400m Freestyle25mOntario Age Group Championships
200m Freestyle25mOntario Junior International---
400m Medley25mSwim International
400m Medley50mCanadian Age Group Championships
400m Freestyle50mOntario Provincial Championships
50m Butterfly Laps50mOntario Provincial ChampionshipsRELAY
800m Freestyle50mJohn Grootveld Sr Officials Classic
50m Backstroke25mOntario Cup
800m Freestyle25mOntario Cup
100m Breaststroke25mJesse Coward Winterlude
1500m Freestyle25mTime Trials
100m Breaststroke50mAjax LC Invitational
50m Breaststroke50mDr. Ralph Hicken Invitational
100m Medley25mNestle Central Region Team Championships