PARIS, France – Kelsey Wog isn’t one to boast, but the two-time Olympian has good reason to be proud.
On Monday, the 25-year-old Winnipeg swimmer marked her official retirement from international competition as Team Canada wrapped its Olympic swim meet with a rally at Canada Olympic House.
“I never, ever imagined in sport when I was seven years old, 10 years old, 15 years old, that I would ever be at an Olympic Games,” Wog said Monday. “Just being here is an achievement itself, and I’m proud of how much I’ve grown as a person because of sport.”
Wog placed 13th overall in her signature event – the 200-metre breaststroke – at the Summer Games, improving on her 16th place finish in Tokyo three years ago.
MARTIN MEISSNER / ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES
Kelsey Wog competes during an Olympics heat in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke July 31.
She advanced from the preliminary heats at the Paris La Defense Arena with a time of 2:25.11, but was unable to break into the top eight in the semi-final on July 31. The former University of Manitoba Bisons swimmer posted a time of 2:24.82 in her semi-final race – about a second off compared with her qualifying swim at the Canadian Olympic Trials in May.
Canadian Sydney Pickrem also failed to move on to the 200-metre breaststroke final, finishing ninth overall with a time of 2:24.03. Kate Douglass of the U.S. took the gold medal in a time of 2:19.24.
While it’s not the race she had hoped, or planned, for, Wog said she’s still pleased with the outcome and the work she put in to reach the diving blocks in Paris. The consistently humble veteran swimmer — who’s the first to admit she avoids the spotlight — took a rare moment to revel in her achievements.
“This last year I really focused on doing everything I could, and just really enjoying the process and the journey of the sport, and I really think I did that to the best of my ability,” Wog said. “So I’m very satisfied with where I finished and I fully believe that I did everything I could.
“So, I feel really content with what I have accomplished moving through this year,” she said.
Wog was joined by two dozen teammates at the Canada Olympic House, located at the Cité des Science et de l’Industrie in the Parc de la Villette, to mark the end of the nine-day meet, which finished Sunday.
The team reached a series of milestones for the Canadian swimming program, with 21 final appearances and a total of eight medals in Paris, along with a few upsets and half-a-dozen fourth place finishes.
DANIELLE DA SILVA / FREE PRESS
Kelsey Wog, front row second from left, poses at Monday afternoon’s athlete celebration at Canada Olympic House in Paris.
Dozens of fans, family and supporters packed the red stands of the hospitality house’s celebration arena to get face to face with the Olympians. After an extended round of applause for the team, athletes took questions and autograph requests from the audience, with four-time medalist and teen swimming star Summer McIntosh weighing in on her new gold hardware.
“Touching the wall first in the (400-metre individual medley) is a pretty surreal moment,” the 17-year-old from Toronto said. “To solidify that and solidify my dreams, it was pretty incredible to do it in front of such an incredible crowd and all my family up in the stands.”
McIntosh won four individual medals, including three gold to become the first Canadian to top the podium three times in one Olympics. She also set new Olympic records for the 200-metre butterfly and the 200-metre individual medley in the process.
”I really focused on doing everything I could, and just really enjoying the process and the journey of the sport.”–Kelsey Wog
Meanwhile, Josh Liendo and Ilyu Kharun both medalled in the 100-metre butterfly (silver and bronze, respectively) to secure Canada’s first double-podium appearance of the Paris Olympics (and the first double-podium for Team Canada at a Summer Games since Montreal 1976). Kharun also took bronze in the 200-metre butterfly.
Three-time Olympian Kylie Masse became the first Canadian swimmer to medal individually at three consecutive Games when she took bronze in the 200-metre backstroke.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
The former University of Manitoba athlete says she plans to retire from competitive swimming but still wants to contribute to the sport in some way.
It was a privilege to be a part of the history-making team, Wog said.
“It’s always an honour to represent Canada and wear the maple leaf when racing,” the senior team member said. “This whole swim team has been so amazing and everybody swam so well.”
With racing now behind her, Wog will spend the next few days soaking in the Olympics as a spectator, checking out basketball, athletics and skateboarding with her parents, before walking with Team Canada in the closing ceremony on Aug. 11.
And while she plans to take a break from the sport to pursue her master’s degree, Wog said she may return to swimming in the future – just not as a competitor.
“I do want to give back to the sport in some way, shape or form,” she said. “I just haven’t quite figured out what that is yet.”
Danielle Da Silva
Reporter
Danielle Da Silva was a general assignment reporter for the Free Press until 2024, when she moved to France.
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