Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
RIO DE JANEIRO — It’s becoming the splash heard from Brazil all the way back up to the Northern Hemisphere: a Canadian pool party that seemingly has no curfew.
Canadian women won a fourth medal here at the Olympic Aquatic Stadium on Wednesday night when the 4×200 metre freestyle team rallied for bronze.
With Toronto teen sensation Penny Oleksiak once again swimming the anchor leg — just part of a jaw-dropping night for the emerging superstar — the Canadian women continued what is looking to be a historic run.
Oleksiak was the clutch swimmer yet again, laying down a monster closing leg to touch the wall in third and secure the medal. She had plenty of help from her inspired teammates — Katerine Savard, who jumped in first followed by Taylor Ruck and Brittany MacLean.
And the brilliant teen made Canadian Olympic history in the process, becoming the first Canadian to collect at least three Olympic medals in any sport before turning 17 years old.
With the latest medal in the pool, the Canadian team has won four, the most for the suddenly resurgent swimming nation since 10 medals were collected at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Just five days into the meet, Canada has now won more medals in the pool than the past three games combined.
All four women played a big part in the medal, notably Ruck who moved the Canadians from fifth after Savard’s opening 200 to third at the end of hers, where they would stay the rest of the race. Ruck, who was also part of the 4×100 metre freestyle team that won bronze last Saturday, is now a two-time Olympic medallist as well.
But the confidence the whole Canadian team has in Oleksiak is magnetic, even for veterans such as MacLean. The contagious belief that started earlier in the week with the 4×100 freestyle team won bronze was with them when they arrived at the pool on Wednesday. And it never wavered.
“We were in the ready room and saying who wants to get an Olympic medal tonight,” said MacLean, almost in awe of her kid teammate. “All of us were on board with that and we knew if we put ourselves in position before Penny dove in that anything was going to be possible.
“She’s been closing so incredibly.”
The bronze may have been the big Canadian story of the night, but it wasn’t the biggest effort. That belonged to Oleksiak as well in an effort that turned heads of swimming observers around the world.
An hour or so before the relay, Oleksiak finished second in her semi-final in the women’s 100-metre freestyle, but smashed through the 53 second barrier in a spectacular 52.72 clocking. Not only that, she chased down Aussie great Cate Campbell, who was a mere .01 faster and set the Olympic record in the process.
The Games just roll on for Oleksiak, who captured a silver in the 100-metre butterfly on Sunday, a night after swimming the anchor leg for the bronze-medal winning 4×100 metre freestyle relay team.
The previous time a Canadian woman swimmer won three medals in a non-boycotted Games was Elaine Tanner back in 1968. Oleksiak may have respect for Campbell — who will still be favoured for gold on Thursday — but she has no fear of the Aussie.
“Hopefully (I can go faster),” Oleksiak said. “If I recover properly tonight, I should be good.”
And potentially great, if this run continues. A total of six Canadians have won three medals (four now in swimming, two in track and field) in a Summer Games, but none have made it to four, a record Oleksiak will be gunning for on Thursday.
Back to Wednesday’s relay, as expected, with superstar Katie Ledecky swimming the final leg, the U.S. won gold for the fifth time while Canada took its first medal in the event. The Americans were timed in 7:43.03, well in front of the Aussies. It was Ledecky’s fourth gold of these Games.
Oleksiak was never a threat to catch the Americans or Aussies — but she didn’t lose ground on the other pursuers. The Canadian quartet trimmed almost four full seconds off the national record for the event and were more than two seconds in front of fourth-place People’s Republic of China.
Meanwhile, Canada narrowly missed a second medal of the night when feisty Santo Condorelli tired late in the men’s 100-metre freestyle and finished fourth, just .03 out of a medal position.
“I know I don’t have the same back half as these guys do,” said Condorelli, of Kenora, Ont., who led after a blistering opening 50 metres in 22.22 seconds. “I’m used to going out fast.”
“I just went for it and had fun with it. I’m not worried about it. It’s my first Olympics. I wanted to be top three but there’s another Olympics in me.”
