Tokyo Olympics: Going Swimmingly for Canada
Written by Lauren Davidson
Despite the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games finally commenced last month. Even though things are looking a little different from past summer Olympics - such as not having thousands of fans in the stands - the games have been going quite well, especially for the female Canadian athletes. These athletes have been carrying Canada through the Olympics with several podium finishes. This includes athletes from Canada’s female swimming team, who have collectively brought in six medals for Canada!
One female swimmer that has represented Canada excellently at the Olympic level is Penny Oleksiak. Oleksiak has secured three medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and four medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, making her the most decorated Olympian in Canadian history! Her medals from this year’s Olympics include a bronze medal for the Women’s 200m Freestyle, and a silver and bronze medal for the Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay and the Women’s 4x100m Medley, respectively. Oleksiak was joined by teammates Maggie Mac Neil, Rebecca Smith, and Kayla Sanchez in winning the silver for the 4x100m Freestyle Relay, which was actually Canada’s first Olympic medal in Tokyo. Additionally, Maggie Mac Neil, Kylie Masse, and Sydney Pickrem swam the bronze-medal-winning 4x100m Medley alongside Oleksiak and helped her secure her seventh Olympic medal. At the young age of 21, Oleksiak is likely to continue her historic Olympic journey at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The obtainment of Canada’s only gold medal in women’s swimming at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is thanks to Maggie Mac Neil. Mac Neil claimed the gold medal in the Women’s 100m Butterfly, while also winning both a silver and bronze medal in the team relays mentioned above. Gold-medal moments are always something special to observe, especially at the Olympics. As for Mac Neil, this Canadian swimmer requires glasses to see from a distance, so she was captured in a priceless moment while squinting at the scoreboard to see where she placed after her gold-medal race. Moreover, in an interview with CTV News after her win, Mac Neil shed some light on how the Olympics have felt from the perspective of an athlete, without any fans and family there to fill the stadium. Despite the lack of in-person attendees, Mac Neil expressed that she can still sense the support from back home. It’s uplifting to know that the athletes truly do feel all the support that is being sent from here in Canada, and that all of the cheers, wishes, and encouragement is not going unnoticed.
Finally, Kylie Masse was the only female swimmer on the Canadian team to win two medals completely on her own. Individually, Masse won two silver medals, one for the Women’s 100m Backstroke and one for the Women’s 200m Backstroke. In addition, her strong backstroke performance in the Women’s 4x100m Medley is what helped the women’s team secure its bronze medal. Her individual and team achievements have made all the challenges that she faced in the past year due to COVID-19 worth it, such as having to purchase a car and make a frequent 90-minute commute to the Pan Am Centre after the University of Toronto’s pool shut down due to restrictions. Masse hopes that her hard work and dedication can help inspire the children watching to believe that they can achieve anything they desire if they put their mind to it.
Ultimately, some of these medal-winning performances even set new Canadian records. Mac Neil’s gold-medal swim in the Women’s 100m Butterfly set a Canadian-record time of 55.59 seconds, while Masse’s silver-medal swim in the Women’s 200m Backstroke set a new Canadian record of 2 minutes and 5.42 seconds. Oleksiak even swam in Canadian-record time for a race that didn’t land her on the podium. With a record time - and personal best - of 52.59 seconds in the Women’s 100m Freestyle, Oleksiak finished the race in fourth place.
Overall, the Canadian women’s swimming team has made quite the splash - pun intended - at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games this summer. The team secured one gold medal, three silver medals, and two bronze medals, while simultaneously setting new Canadian records. Even though Canadians couldn't be there to cheer on these talented women in-person, all the love and support was still felt by the girls, and hopefully that support can be delivered and received while in-person for the next Olympic Games.