Canadian Olympic champ banned for two years

Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak, the country's most decorated female Olympian, has accepted a two-year suspension for failing to report her whereabouts three times within a year, swimming officials said on Tuesday.

Repeated failures by an athlete to update their whereabouts constitute a doping violation because they obstruct drug testing.

The Aquatics Integrity Unit said in a statement that Oleksiak's period of ineligibility runs from 15 July 2025 to 14 July 2027.

The International testing Agency said Oleksiak did not contest the proposed punishment, meaning "the case was resolved through an acceptance of consequences."

Swimming Canada said in a statement that it "respects" the ITA's decision.

"We will miss Penny on the national team and hope to see her back in the pool when she is eligible," the organisation said.

Oleksiak, 25, has won seven Olympic medals, including a gold at Rio 2016 in the women's 100m freestyle.

She won a total of four medals in Rio and another three in the Tokyo Games, which were pushed to 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Oleksiak did not medal in Paris a year ago and has been eclipsed in Canadian swimming prominence by Summer McIntosh, who won three golds and a silver at the 2024 Games.