Penny Oleksiak, Canada’s most decorated Olympian with seven Olympic medals, has accepted a two-year ban from the International Testing Agency (ITA) after recording three “whereabouts failures” within 12 months.

What sparked the suspension?

Under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, top-tier athletes must submit daily one-hour time slots and overnight locations so testers can conduct surprise out-of-competition tests. Three missed tests or filing failures in 12 months equals an anti-doping rule violation, with sanctions ranging from one to two years. Oleksiak’s case falls on the higher end of that scale.

The ITA confirmed the sanction on Tuesday, stressing that no prohibited substances were involved. Oleksiak herself has repeatedly described the issue as purely administrative.

Oleksiak, now 25, pulled out of the July 2025 World Aquatics Championships amid the probe. She had clarified that no banned substances were involved, and it was just an admin error in updating her details.

When does the ban start and end?

The suspension is backdated, but her period of ineligibility will run until 14 July 2027. All results from 16 June 2025 onward are disqualified, meaning any medals, points, or prizes she won after that date are stripped.

How did Swimming Canada react?

Swimming Canada fully supported the decision while making it clear they believe the mistakes were honest ones.

“While we accept Penny’s explanation, these were inadvertent errors and she has not used banned substances. Anti-doping regulations are in place to ensure a level playing field for all athletes,” said CEO Suzanne Paulins.

“We will miss Penny on the national team and hope to see her back in the pool when she is eligible.”

Impact on Penny Oleksiak’s career

Penny Oleksiak will be 27 when she makes a return in mid-2027, still young enough for a strong comeback. The ban rules her out of the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2027 World Championships, but will leave the door open for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if she chooses to continue.

A remarkable journey paused

Penny Oleksiak made an international debut at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, claiming the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the age of 16 and etching her name in history as Canada’s youngest Olympic gold medallist. As she steps back from competitive swimming for now, her legacy includes an impressive haul of seven Olympic medals, one gold, two silvers, and four bronzes, along with nine medals from the World Championships.