Penny Oleksiak, Aurelie Rivard among national swimming award winners

Toronto’s Penny Oleksiak was recognized for her breakthrough performance at the Rio Olympics on Friday by being named the female swimmer of the year by Swimming Canada.

The 16-year-old Oleksiak made her Olympic debut in Rio and came away as Canada’s most decorated summer Olympian in a single Games with four medals, including a gold in the 100-metre freestyle.

On the Paralympic side, Aurelie Rivard of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., was awarded with the Canadian female Para-swimmer of the year for the third year in a row.

Also a four-time medallist, the 20-year-old Rivard set world records in the S10 50 and 400 freestyle. Rio was her second Paralympic appearance after competing in London four years ago, where she won a silver medal in the 400 freestyle.

Quebec City’s Nicolas-Guy Turbide was named Canada’s male Para-swimmer of the year, with his highlight being a bronze medal in the S13 100 backstroke. The 19-year-old Turbide became the first visually impaired Canadian swimmer to break the one-minute barrier in the race, re-setting his own Americas record in the process.

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Santo Condorelli of Kenora, Ont., was named the Canadian male swimmer of the year. The 21-year-old Condorelli earned Canada’s best male result in Rio with his fourth-place finish in the 100 freestyle, and set a new Canadian record in the 100 butterfly.

Also, Richard Weinberger of Moose Jaw, Sask., was named Canada’s top open-water swimmer after finishing 17th in the men’s marathon swimming event in Rio. This is Weinberger’s sixth consecutive award in the open water category.

The Canadian Press