Canada's Penny Oleksiak to miss world swimming championships because of injury
Canada's Penny Oleksiak looks up at her results after swimming to take the bronze medal in the women's 200-meter freestyle final event during the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, in Tokyo, Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Oleksiak will be withdrawing from this year's World Aquatics Championships due to injury. Canada's most decorated Olympian had been working her way back from right knee surgery since August, during which time she has developed an unrelated left shoulder condition. Credit: AP/Frank Gunn
TORONTO — Seven-time Olympic medalist Penny Oleksiak will miss the world swimming championships in July while she continues rehabbing from injury.
Oleksiak had been coming back from left knee surgery since last August when she developed an unrelated shoulder issue.
The 22-year-old Canadian competed for the first time in nine months at the Mare Nostrum meet in Barcelona, Spain, in May. After that, she and coach Ryan Mallette decided she would focus on continued rehabilitation rather than swim at worlds in Fukuoka, Japan.
"Now I need to focus on my rehab to get back to where I want to be and put myself in position to be at my best next season,” Oleksiak said.
She is the most decorated Canadian Olympian in history. Among her seven medals is a gold in the 100-meter freestyle at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
