Penny Oleksiak narrowly misses 100m freestyle podium at worlds

Penny Oleksiak's first individual medal at worlds will have to wait.

The Toronto native placed fourth in the women's 100-metre freestyle at the world aquatics championships on Thursday in Budapest, Hungary, touching an agonizing 0.06 seconds behind bronze medallist Torri Huske of the U.S.

A podium appearance would have marked Canada's eighth in Hungary, tying the team record set at 2019 worlds. It also would have been Oleksiak's eighth career medal at worlds, breaking a tie with Kylie Masse.

Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan took top spot on Thursday in a time of 52.67 seconds, while Swedish world-record holder Sarah Sjoestroem scored silver in 52.80 seconds.

Canada's Kayla Sanchez placed sixth in 53.59 seconds.

Oleksiak was in the medal hunt for the entire race, touching third at the halfway point. It seemingly set up well for the Canadian, who is typically among the quickest finishers.

But it wasn't to be, as Oleksiak touched in 52.98 seconds, just behind Huske's time of 52.92.

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Like Oleksiak, Canada's Kelsey Wog also swam to a fourth-place finish.

The Winnipeg native just missed the medals in the women's 200m breaststroke with her time of 2:23.86. Wog, 23, was going for her first career medal at a major international meet.

She missed the finals in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke at her Olympic debut in Tokyo, and placed sixth in the latter at 2019 worlds.

Wog got off the blocks with the fastest reaction time at 0.64 seconds and kept close contact with the leaders throughout the race, but never could quite break through.

American Lilly King, fifth at the 150-metre mark, won gold in 2:22.41, ahead of Australian silver medallist Jenna Strauch (2:23.04) and bronze medallist