Penny Oleksiak, Canada’s most decorated female Olympian, faces a two-year competitive ban and has found herself answering questions about drug use while training solo in public pools. She remains undeterred about her long-term goal: competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and continuing to build on her storied legacy.
In an exclusive CBC Sports interview, the 25-year-old Toronto-born swimmer, now based in Los Angeles, vehemently denied ever using performance-enhancing substances and attributed theNov. 25 sanction to scheduling oversights rather than any intentional wrongdoing. “It's never been me to do performance-enhancing drugs or even think about doing performance-enhancing drugs,” she stated, while taking full responsibility for the predicament.
“First and foremost, I'm sorry that this happened. It wasn't something I ever wanted to happen. It wasn't something I ever expected to happen. I did do something wrong at the end of the day, and it's something that I do have regret around,” she admitted.
Oleksiak was suspended by World Aquatics for what the organization describes as “whereabouts” violations—missed checks during her 60-minute daily testing window. She emphasized that, despite those misses, she undergoes frequent testing throughout the season.
Despite missing three tests between October 2024 and June 2025 (the final miss occurring about a month before the world aquatics championships in Singapore, for which she qualified at Canadian trials), Oleksiak did not train with a coach or teammates and has had to withdraw from the world championships to avoid sanctioning of teammates’ results.
She explained the testing process: blood and urine samples are collected at her home, with additional random tests conducted at meets or elsewhere. The third missed test arrived after a period of uncertainty about her earlier violations, prompting a realization that a pause and clarifications were needed. In her words, the period between a test and reporting can feel like a waiting game.
The swimmer attributed the missed tests to a sequence of genuine mistakes related to shifting schedules and work obligations, rather than an attempt to evade testing. “Ideally they want you to update it a minimum 24 hours before if you do have something changed,” she noted, describing how she tried to manage changes via the testing app. Still, she acknowledged not meeting the standard expectations and expressed frustration over the responsibility she carries.
Oleksiak also addressed questions about her commitment to swimming. She rejected claims that she isn’t dedicating enough energy to the sport, insisting that swimming has always been her top priority and explaining how her daily routine remains heavily focused on training and recovery, despite public skepticism about her time management or media appearances.
The two-year penalty has prompted reflection about her future in swimming. “When I first got the information, there was a part of me that wondered if this was my sign to end my career,” she said. Yet she also described the coming suspension as a reset, one that could pave the way for a stronger comeback. “I know I have that drive and this isn’t something new for me. I spent a year and a half rehabbing an injury and going to Paris 2024, and now I again have that year and a half to train. But I’m not injured this time. This time I can just put my head down.”
Training in isolation will be the new normal until the suspension ends roughly a year before the 2028 Games. Oleksiak is hopeful about rejoining her Canadian teammates and advancing toward peak performance in L.A. as a pivotal member of a promising generation of Canadian swimmers.
“I can work with people to really get to a position I want to be in,” she said, noting progress in the 100- and 50-meter freestyle at world trials. She described LA as a supportive environment and expressed excitement about the 2028 team’s potential. “The peak of Canadian swimming is going to be L.A. 2028. We have so much talent coming up and such an exciting team, and I can’t wait to be part of it.”
For now, Oleksiak trains at public pools in Los Angeles, since private or club facilities are off-limits during her suspension. She trains alone, missing the camaraderie and energy of a full team but finding ways to stay focused with the help of a personal trainer.
The suspension ends about a year before Paris 2028, and Oleksiak remains determined to return stronger, faster, and ready to contribute to Canada’s momentum on the world stage. She invites discussion about the complexities of whereabouts rules and the pressures faced by elite athletes, wondering aloud how the public perception of her choices aligns with the realities of training and competing at the highest level.
