Penny Oleksiak just misses qualifying for 100m freestyle Olympic event
CBC
Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak's bid to qualify for an individual event at her third Olympics has fallen just short.
Oleksiak was in Rome this weekend competing at the Sette Colli International meet with the hopes of posting a fast enough time in the 100-metre freestyle to qualify for the event at Paris 2024.
The 24-year-old from Toronto needed to swim below the Olympic A qualifying standard of 53.61 seconds. However, in the B Final of the event she recorded a time of 53.77 – once again agonizingly close to the time needed.
Fellow Canadian swimmer Mary-Sophie Harvey placed seventh in the A Final in a time of 54.69.
In the preliminary swims earlier in the day Oleksiak, recorded a time of 55.18, placing her sixth in the heat. She was third at the turn as the sun blasted down on the pool at the outdoor venue in Rome.
In the B Final, Oleksiak was first to touch the wall at the 50m turn in a time of 25.94, and ultimately finished in 53.77, which won the race but wasn't quite enough to get her under the time needed.
The Sette Colli International is a World Aquatics sanctioned event, which means results at the meet can go towards Olympic qualification.
Oleksiak and Harvey have both already qualified for Paris 2024 – Oleksiak will play a key role in the Canadian relay teams, as well as Harvey.
As Canada's most decorated Olympian, Oleksiak, was looking to qualify individually for the 100 free, the same event Oleksiak won gold in at the 2016 Rio Games.
She shot to superstardom at those Olympics as a 16-year-old, winning four medals. Five years later at the Tokyo Games she won three more medals, making her the most decorated Canadian Olympian with seven total medals.
Since then, however, Oleksiak has been battling injuries including another knee surgery just months ago.
At the Canadian trials in May, Oleksiak won the 100 free event in a time of 53.66. While the victory secured a spot on the relay team, Oleksiak was visibly disappointed. She was just .05 off the qualifying standard.
After that race Oleksiak told CBC Sports she would do everything she could to secure an individual spot.
WATCH | Oleksiak finishes 1st in women's 100m freestyle:
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