Oleksiak falls just short of eighth world medal
Penny Oleksiak narrowly missed out on a third medal at the 2022 world aquatics championships with a fourth-place finish Thursday in the women's 100-metre freestyle.
Oleksiak, from Toronto, was third at the turn, but finished .06 seconds off the podium in a time of 52.98 seconds.
Australia's Mollie O'callaghan finished first to pick up her second gold medal in Budapest and fourth overall.
World-record holder Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden was second (52.80) and Torri Huske of the United States was third (52.92).
Toronto's Kayla Sanchez placed sixth (53.59).
“I'm so excited, I really don't know what to say. I wasn't expecting that at all. I'm racing some amazing girls here,” O'callaghan said after winning her first individual gold at the world championships.
Canada had another medal chance come up short later Thursday when Winnipeg's Kelsey Wog finished fourth in the women's 200-metre breaststroke.
Wog, a silver medallist in the 200 breaststroke at the 2016 shortcourse world championships in Windsor, Ont., finished her race Thursday in a time of two minutes 23.86 seconds.
Lilly King of the U.S. finished first in 2:22.41, followed by Australia's Jenna Strauch (2:23.04) and American Kate Douglass (2:23.20).
The absence of Olympic champion Evgeny Rylov of Russia left the field open for the men's 200-metre backstroke and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ryan Murphy took full advantage.
The American had never won an individual gold at a world championships, but had won in both 100and 200-metre backstroke at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Earlier, Oleksiak swam the anchor leg to help Canada win bronze in the women's 4x200 freestyle relay, giving her seven career world championship medals.
That is tied for the most by a Canadian with Kylie Masse of Lasalle, Ont., who has also won two medals ( gold in the women's 60-metre backstroke, silver in the 100 backstroke) in Budapest.
Oleksiak helped Canada win silver in the women's 4x100 freestyle relay Saturday on the opening day of the event.