After Six Olympic Swimming Medals, What Changed for Canada

Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Morning Splash by David Rieder.

Medals cannot be won in prelims, but it was in such a qualifying session that everything changed for Canadian swimming.

During the first morning of Olympic swimming last summer in Rio, 16-year-old Penny Oleksiak broke a World Junior Record in the 100 fly, qualifying third for the semifinals in 56.73. Just a couple hours later, the foursome of Sandrine Mainville, Chantal Van Landeghem, Michelle Williams and Taylor Ruck qualified third for the final of the women’s 400 free relay, more than two seconds ahead of fourth-place Italy.

That same morning, Ryan Cochrane finished 11th in a deep field in the men’s 400 free.

For years, Cochrane had been Canada’s best hope. He had won Olympic medals in 1500 free in both Beijing and London, along with eight World Championship medals between the 400, 800 and 1500.

“He’s always been probably the greatest advocate for Canadian swimming,” 2012 and 2016 Olympian Brittany MacLean said before the Games. “He’s the most consistent swimmer we’ve had—he’s medaled very single international meet the last eight years. It’s so cool to see someone that’s so consistently there for Canada and winning medals.”

But with Cochrane out of medal contention, at least for that day, he got behind the upstart Canadian women—a group that had not won an Olympic medal in two decades.

That night, Oleksiak took over anchor duties on the 400 free relay and went into the water in third place, her cushion of more than a second and a half over the Netherlands. She would not be caught, and the drought was over.

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Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

The wait for an individual medal would not be much longer. Oleksiak scampered home in the women’s 100 fly final to win a silver medal, her time of 56.46 another World Junior Record. A day later, Kylie Masse tied for the bronze in the 100 back, and then on day five, Oleksiak anchored Canada’s 800 free relay to a bronze medal.

One day later, Oleksiak swam in 100 free final, going in as the No. 2 qualifier.

“I think by the time the 100 freestyle came around, the expectations had changed,” Oleksiak’s coach Ben Tilley said. “We went into the meet just hoping for good performances. We knew Penny was very, very capable, but to get the first three medals probably changed what we thought was possible for the 100 free on day six. That was the most nervous Penny had been for the entire competition.”

Seventh at the halfway point, Oleksiak finished in 27.00, a half-second faster than anyone else in the field. Still seemingly out of the race with 15 meters left, she ran down world record-holder Cate Campbell to her left and 100 fly gold medalist Sarah Sjostrom to her right.

When she touched the wall, Oleksiak took a few moments to catch her breath. Two lanes over, Simone Manuel was in tears as she celebrated a gold medal, but she was not alone in touching in 52.70. Soon enough, Oleksiak realized that she, too, would ascend to the top step of the Olympic podium and that ‘O, Canada’ would play.

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Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

That night, Oleksiak was not exuberant but rather quiet and unassuming, perhaps a little stunned that she had a gold medal hanging around her neck.

“I’m only 16. It’s pretty insane to win a gold medal at your first Olympics when you’re 16,” she said. “To see that you got an Olympic record and see that you just got gold with Simone, it means a lot to me.”

It meant a lot to her country, too, and Oleksiak returned home a superstar. Even after Sidney Crosby led the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup, Oleksiak was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as the top Canadian athlete in any sport. She became the first female swimmer to receive the honor in a half-century.

But aside from the laurels, nothing much changed. She’s still in high school and has not yet decided if she will accept endorsement money as a professional swimmer. The day she won the Lou Marsh Trophy, she announced that she would celebrate with homework and maybe some cake.

One year after she made her first Olympic team in Toronto, she’ll head west to Victoria with a spot on the World Championships team in mind. And why should there be pressure when her future looks as bright as any other female in the sport?

She certainly has the physical tools, standing six-foot-one. She has range and versatility and can finish a race better than any sprinter in the world. And as for those relays, she has plenty of help.

At this week’s Canadian Swimming Trials, Mainville and Van Landeghem are both seeded under 54 seconds in the 100 free, and five others have sub-55 entry times, including another 16-year-old in Ruck. MacLean, who swam on the 800 free relay for Canada in Rio, is retired, but Katerine Savard and Kennedy Goss provide reinforcements there.

And Canada’s medley relay, which finished fifth in Rio, has as good a backstroke leg as anyone else in the world with Masse leading things off.

Just as this core has emerged, the greatest swimmer in Canadian history has stepped away from the sport. Cochrane ended up finishing sixth in the 1500 free in Rio, and that would be his last race. He announced his retirement last month.

But aside from MacLean, every woman who stood on the medal stand in Canada’s historic performance in Rio is back this year, attempting to qualify for the World Championships. That list includes Hilary Caldwell, who won Canada’s sixth and final swimming medal of the Rio Games with a bronze in the 200 back.

In fact, the Canadian women finished the Olympics with more medals than any team aside from the United States. This summer in Budapest, they have a chance to back it up, to put swimmers in individual finals across all strokes and to remain a medal threat in all three relays.

Internationally, expectations have been raised for Canada’s women, and back home in Canada, in the post-Cochrane era, it’s Oleksiak and co. carrying the torch.

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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