Canadian Olympics swimmer Penny Oleksiak has accepted a suspension for a breach of the anti-doping code by having three whereabouts failures over a 12-month time period, according to the International Testing Agency (ITA).
Whereabouts protocol requires athletes to inform anti-doping authorities of their daily whereabouts, as well as a specific 60-minute time slot each day when the athlete will be available for testing, the ITA said. The purpose of the requirement is to allow for unannounced drug testing.
A rule violation occurs when an athlete has three missed tests (where the athlete is unavailable during the 60-minute period) or filing failures (in which accurate whereabouts information has not been provided) in 12 months, according to the ITA.
Oleksiak’s ineligibility period runs until July 14, 2027, and any competitive results from June 16, 2025, onward are disqualified, including the forfeiture of medals, points, and prizes, the ITA said. The suspension will end before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Swimming Canada says it respects the ITA’s decision.
It also said it accepted Oleksiak’s explanation that the instances were “inadvertent errors” and that “she has not used banned substances.”
“We will miss Penny on the national team and hope to see her back in the pool when she is eligible.”
The Canadian swimmer withdrew from the World Aquatics Championships in July as she had accepted a provisional suspension at the time.
She said at that time that she was not able to make comments on her whereabouts case, “other than reiterating that I am and always have been a clean athlete.”
She said she was grateful for those supporting her.
“This has not been an easy adjustment for me to navigate emotionally and all the love has truly been felt. I can’t wait to get back in the gym and pool soon and update you all with my life moving forward,” she said in the post.
The 25-year-old from Toronto is the most decorated female Olympian from Canada. She took gold in the 100-metre freestyle when she was 16 years old at the Rio Games in 2016. She has also won two silver medals and four bronze at the Olympics. Oleksiak also earned nine World Championships medals, including two silver and seven bronze, during her career.
