Until Andre De Grasse came third in the 100-metre dash on Sunday, no male Canadian athlete had won a medal at the Rio Summer Olympics. All of Canada's 12 medals to that point had gone to female athletes – in particular, the seemingly out-of-nowhere, 16-year-old swimming sensation Penny Oleksiak.
Ms. Oleksiak's accomplishments are extraordinary. She is the first athlete in the world born in the 2000s to win a gold medal in an Olympic sport. Her four medals are the most by any Canadian athlete in a Summer Games. It is difficult to imagine that there will be a more memorable performance by a Canadian this year.
Another remarkable Canadian is Rosie MacLennan, who earned her second straight gold medal on the trampoline, having won the same event in London in 2012. Canadian women have also won medals in rowing, diving, track, diving, rugby and cycling.
Canada's male athletes haven't done anywhere close to as well. That could change this week, when a number of male medal hopefuls get their chance to compete. But, for the time being, the women are carrying the Canadian team toward its goal of winning 19 medals and finishing in the top 12 for overall medal count.
Is this a big deal to Canadians? Not that we can tell. There is no hand-wringing on the part Canadian Olympic Committee, and few in the media have put much emphasis of what may yet turn out to be a statistical anomaly. Remember, the 18 medals won by Canada in 2012 were evenly split between male and female athletes. There is a chance things could even out before the closing ceremony on Sunday.
It's a slim chance, though. Barring a lot of upset wins by our male athletes, it is almost certain that women will bring home the vast majority of Canada's medals this summer. This will be a first, and it's exciting to watch it unfold.
But perhaps what's most exciting about this moment is that so few people are dwelling on it. We have reached a point where there is no expectation that Canadian women will win more medals than Canadian men, and no expectation that they won't. There is something refreshing about being able to simultaneously celebrate the groundbreaking successes of our women athletes, and take it in stride.