Canada finished in 10th place overall with 22 medals (four gold, three silver and 15 bronze) – surpassing the target of 19 set prior to the event and tying Atlanta (1996; 3-11-8) for the highest total in a non-boycotted summer Games.
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Oleksiak grabbed national attention back home early in the Games by winning four medals, including Canada’s first gold.
Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak bears the Canadian flag at the closing ceremony of Rio Olympics.
Fans declared the swimmer the obvious choice to be the country’s flag bearer. There was another relay bronze before she surged to gold in the 100 freestyle on the penultimate day of the swim meet.
The 16-year-old swimming sensation from Toronto strode into the famed Maracana Stadium on a blustery and rainy night. “I’ve just been trying to catch up with all of my friends that I haven’t talked to yet”. Her four medals at a single Games trail only the five won by speed skater Cindy Klassen at the Turin Olympics in 2006.
Her coach Ben Titley says the sky is the limit for Oleksiak, if she wants it. “It’s not my role to put limits on anybody or anything”.
“It would be my intention that Penny actually become Canada’s most successful Summer Olympian”.
Rosie MacLennan (trampoline), King City, Ont., was the first Canadian athlete to successfully defend a Summer gold medal. Penny Oleksiak was honoured to be named #CAN’s #ClosingCeremony flag-bearer.
“Phenom. Phenom”, added chef de mission Curt Harnett. Andre is that way too. The four golds are also the most for Canada since the seven won at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
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With files from Canadian Press reporter Frederic Daigle.
