Bittersweet results for Oleksiak as she secures relay spot in Paris but misses cut in 100m freestyle

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When it comes to the pool, there’s not a lot Penny Oleksiak has left to prove.

The Toronto-born swimmer has smashed records, become the most decorated Canadian Olympian, and written herself into the history books.

If you could bet on the seven-time medalist eventually having a school, a city park, or a swimming complex named after her, it would be easy money.

But when the 23-year-old walked out on deck at the Canadian Olympic trials Friday night for the 100-metre freestyle, Oleksiak suddenly had a lot to prove.

After a year of upheaval and injury – she uprooted her life last fall and moved to California to train, dealt with a bad shoulder, then had knee surgery four months ago – Oleksiak is trying to prove she can return to form, as the months quickly tick down to Paris in July.

Her first bid for a spot on the Olympic roster in an individual race, earlier this week, didn’t go as planned. She placed a disappointing ninth in the 200-metre freestyle, well out of contention for the team.

Friday was her second of three attempts. But even though Oleksiak won the 100m freestyle in a time of 53.66 seconds, she narrowly missed the Olympic qualifying time of 53.61, a difference of .05 seconds.

Though the victory did secure her a spot in Paris as a member of the 4x100 freestyle relay, it was a bittersweet result. Oleksiak is known for her prowess in the relays, but she wants the individual events as well.

“I’m excited to go, I’m excited to be part of the team. Obviously I really want that individual spot, so I’m going to do everything I can to try and secure it,” Oleksiak said. “But I’m just excited to be part of the team right now. It definitely takes some weight off my shoulders knowing that I’m going.”

Oleksiak can still race other international events between now and mid July to get below the Olympic qualifying time in the 100m freestyle, which she indicated she may do. “We’ll see, I hope so,” she said.

In addition to Oleksiak, the next three swimmers also made the relay cut for the 4x100 freestyle relay in Paris, including Mary-Sophie Harvey, Brooklyn Douthwright and Taylor Ruck.

Harvey placed second in 53.71 seconds. Douthwright was third in 54.33 and Ruck fourth at 54.47.

Harvey said she was excited Oleksiak, a key member of past relay medals, had made the squad for her third Olympics, though she knew Oleksiak was probably stung by her result.

“To have Penny back is really great. We need her at her best, so I’m really happy that she made it. I know it’s probably a tough pill to swallow for her as well to miss it by .05,” Harvey said.

“But I think it’s going to give her that little fire for the relay. We’ll try our best to make it on the podium.”

Ruck, who will race in the relay in her third Olympics, said it was a pressure-filled week.

“There’s a lot of pressure on everybody. High stakes,” Ruck said. “I’ve been really nervous this whole meet.”

Oleksiak has one shot left to earn a berth into a solo event, when she competes in the 50m freestyle on Sunday. She’ll need to place first or second in that race, while also meeting the Olympic qualifying time, to not be shut out of the individual races in Paris.

The 100m freestyle was the same event she won the gold medal in at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Oleksiak moved to California last fall in a bid to reset her life and shake up her training, joining a professional team in the Los Angeles area. Since then, she has trained differently, swimming fewer laps per workout than she once did, and has competed less than she has in the lead-up to previous Olympics, because of the injuries.

The last time Swimming Canada picked an Olympic roster, Oleksiak was automatically chosen for the squad based on her past performances, after the organization invoked special measures during the pandemic. This time, she has to earn it in the pool.

With just over two months to go until the Paris Games, Oleksiak is already facing Olympic-sized pressure. But few swimmers have built a reputation for delivering in the tense moments as her.

Earlier this week, Oleksiak suggested her performances are a work in progress. “My story’s not over yet,” she said. She’ll have one more chance on Sunday to write the next chapter.