Canada's Penny Oleksiak celebrates her gold medal in the women's 100m freestyle finals during the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. A week ago Oleksiak was just one of the many anonymous athletes about to embark on her first Olympic Games.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
A source close to pop superstar Drake has confirmed to The Globe and Mail that the rapper's people plan to give 16-year-old Canadian gold-medal swimmer Penny Oleksiak free tickets to his Toronto concert this fall.
Ms. Oleksiak, 16, who stunned Canada with her gold medal win in the 100-metre freestyle in Rio on Thursday night, had lamented on Wednesday on her Twitter feed that she and fellow Canadian Olympic swim-team medallist Kylie Masse had tried to buy Drake tickets online, but that the event was sold out.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the singer would make sure the swimmer was taken care of. The source could not say whether anyone from Drake's management had contacted Ms. Oleksiak, who is still competing in Rio. Drake is set to appear in concert at Toronto's Air Canada Centre on Oct. 8.
Earlier Friday, even Toronto Mayor John Tory, who gave Drake a key to the city earlier this year, said he would try to help Ms. Oleksiak in her quest for concert tickets.
Asked at a Friday press conference if the city's chief magistrate should intervene, Mr. Tory said he would gladly make a call: "Well, look, I am willing to put in a word, you know, on her behalf with Drake if that seems to be necessary. I would have thought these people could be resourceful on their own. But I if it is really, really necessary I am willing to do almost anything."
Mr. Tory said he did not yet know how Ms. Oleksiak's hometown would honour her and her achievements on her return: "It depends on what she wants to do. She's a 16-year-old young woman who has done this country and this city proud. And I had said earlier on, when she won her first medal –let alone now four, and a gold – that I would like to do something for her as a city, so that all the people of the city could show their enthusiasm and gratitude and their excitement about her magnificent performance."
Then he added: "We shouldn't decide yet, because her performance isn't over yet. She has more chances to get more medals and I'll just say that on behalf of the people of Toronto, we're thrilled for her and we are thrilled for our country."
Jeff Gray