Teen swimmer wins Canada’s first gold of 2016

A young Olympic swimmer has made history for Canada, winning the team’s first gold medal of the 2016 Olympics on Thursday night.

In the 100 metre freestyle, 16-year-old Penny Oleksiak, from Toronto, won her fourth medal of the Rio 2016 Games.

Gold & medal no. 4. @OleksiakPenny makes #TeamCanada #Olympics & #swimming history: https://t.co/CpQSipfQEY pic.twitter.com/oTqp4Vgmcz

— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) August 12, 2016

This was Oleksiak’s second individual medal

On Wednesday, she smashed her own national and junior world record, swimming the 100m free in 52.72 seconds. On Thursday, she did even better, finishing in 52.70 seconds for and Olympic record and Canada’s first ever women’s medal in this event.

Oleksiak tied with Team USA's Simone Manuel, 20, to win the gold medal.

.@TeamUSA 🇨🇦🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/gwAanVmAul

— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) August 12, 2016

Oleksiak is now the first Canadian to win four medals at one summer Olympic Games. She has also tied Victor Davis for most medals ever won by a Canadian swimmer in the Olympics, but she still has one race left in Rio.

.@OleksiakPenny touched the wall in seventh place at 50m. Seventh! It was gold at 100m: https://t.co/CpQSipfQEY pic.twitter.com/9Vk9uTeKkF

— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) August 12, 2016

Earlier in the week, Oleksiak took silver in the 100m butterfly and was part of two bronze medal winning relay teams, competing in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays.