“She gave us a heart attack”.
Advertisement
Canada’s Penny Oleksiak smiles after winning the gold medal and setting a new olympic record in the women’s 100-meter freestyle during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was seventh at the turn – seventh! – almost a full second off the lead.
“She is certainly in a position to be an extraordinary Canadian athlete and an extraordinary worldwide athlete”.
And the best thing of all is that we have been astonished by this 16-year-old at these Rio Summer Olympics.
Despite her sudden success, the fact that Oleksiak is still a teenager was a point the family was keen to make during the press conference. “But I was just thinking about swimming as fast as I could, and be happy with any outcome”.
Many a long year has passed under the bridge since the days of Alex Baumann and the late Victor Davis and teammates in the 1980s and Mark Tewksbury in 1992. By the time they get her back home, she will be one of the most famous Olympians in Canadian history.
Who’s won the most gold medals in one year? History, happening all over. “Basically sold out #ugh #maybenexttime”, featuring another upside-down face emoji. But she didn’t panic. Over four trips to the Olympic podium she has hardly smiled. That has to hurt.
So, as the story goes, Penny picks up the piece of tooth, throws it in the pool, and keeps doing pushups.
Maclean’s reporter Jonathon Gatehouse spoke to Penny’s sister Hayley, a rower at Boston’s Northeastern University, up in the stands after the family had been on the roller coaster of seventh at the turn nd then turn it on.
“That (last part) might be a legend”, says her brother Jamie, 23, a defenceman for the Dallas Stars. “I never thought I’d win a gold”, she said. “She could be one of the best swimmers in the world”, he said. “Outstanding! Your performance was incredible and Canada is so proud of you”.
Oleksiak’s father Richard was a multi-sport athlete and mother Alison a swimmer. “But my sister and I hug all the time”. Franklin was bypassed for a spot in the finals on the US 200-metre freestyle relay team on Wednesday and failed to make the 200-metre backstroke final. The team won their semi-final Friday. In the 200 free relay, her goggles filled with water nearly immediately. Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden received the third medal, a bronze. They had all watched the race from the second-last row, “U”, and held their breath with the rest of the crowd as Penny stretched for the wall. Whether it’s a gift of youth or something else, it’s a gift.
Atkinson has good reason to see progress in the ranks but reciognises, too, the big draw: Oleksiak, who has “no fear”. The education she won’t be able to pay for and swimming CIS [Canadian Interuniversity Sport] is not the answer. “She’s there to win”.
Her humble demeanour also endears her to the public, said Mychasiw. And that’s still, to a certain extent, what she’s doing here. “And we’re trying to get her to go out a little more competitively here”.
She was always competitive, though. One day they got in the pool, and Penny dusted her.
The pressure to not only excel at a sport at an global level, but also to secure a deal to help fund continued training following the Games, may be too much for some athletes – especially the first-timers, says Kaplan.
Advertisement
LaBarge, whose expertise is in sports sponsorships, says companies are not only seeking Olympic champions, but athletes who are dynamic and can make a connection with their customer base. None of her family expected this. They shook hands. Her hand was as big as his, and her six-foot-nine father and National Hockey League brother came up in conversion.
