PRIME SPORTS REPORT

THE DIVINE MISS PENNY

PRIME SPORTS REPORT INAUGURAL

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2016

THE YEAR OF THE GALS

There were several terrific sports happenings in 2016: Leicester City Foxes winning the Premier League; the Chicago Cubs breaking the Billy Goat Curse; Villanova winning the NCAA Championship in basketball; Alabama winning in football; the Super Bowl victory by New England; the Pittsburgh Penguins winning the Stanley Cup, the Cleveland Cavaliers comeback title win against the Warriors. Great team wins all.

There were also some terrific individual performances – LeBron James; Usain ‘The Insane” Bolt; Sidney Crosby; Tom Brady; Mike Trout; Clayton Kershaw; Jamie Vardy; Ronaldo; and many others.

However, one athlete’s achievements for 2016 stands out above all others – that of 16-year-old Ms. Penny Oleksiak of Toronto. Again – 16 years old. In fact, just turned 16.

Ms. Oleksiak’s 2016 athletic achievements were stunning, remarkable, brilliant, fantastic, unexpected, and absolutely glorious. There are not enough superlatives to describe the accomplishments of the incredible Ms. Oleksiak.

At 16 years’ old, Ms. Oleksiak, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, won a gold in the freestyle, silver in the butterfly, and 2 bronze in freestyle relay becoming the first Canadian swimmer to win 4 Olympic medals and the first Canadian to win 4 Olympic medals in one Summer Games.

AT 16 YEARS, OLD!!! Furthermore, no Olympic champion had ever been born in the 2000’s.

That Olympic success earned Ms. Oleksiak the privilege of carrying the Canadian flag during the Rio closing ceremonies.

But Ms. Oleksiak’s accomplishments did not end at Rio. At the World Short Course Championships held this past December, Ms. Oleksiak won a freestyle bronze and anchored relay teams to 2 golds and a silver.

And for those athletic achievements, Ms. Oleksiak was awarded the Canadian Press’s Female Athlete of the Year and become the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Lou Marsh award as Canada’s Athlete of the Year for 2016.

Not bad for a grade 11 high school student.

CANADIAN PRESS

Most Canadians are well aware, by now, of Ms. Oleksiak’s story and successes and well deserved awards and recognition. It is as wonderful and joyous story as one could have.

Prime Sports Report would like to add to that story in our own small way. PSR is operated by athletes – elite athletes retired from elite competition, but not retired from competition or sports with an unsurpassed knowledge of our sports. We know what it takes to achieve athletic success beyond the sheer talent – grinding hard and endless work; a commitment to excel; a desire for accomplishment not recognition; devotion to team and team goals; love of the sport; and giving everything you have with no regrets on the outcome. And we know the immeasurable joy and satisfaction of victory.

With that in mind, Prime Sports Report is delighted and honoured to award our inaugural Athlete of the Year Award to the incomparable Ms. Penny Oleksiak. We wish Ms. Oleksiak continued good luck and success in further athletic endeavours and we know that Ms. Oleksiak will be successful in whatever she undertakes to do with the foundation of family and achievements to date.

Keep it going kid – you are aces in our book.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

PSR would be remis is if honourable mentions were not made for two other athletes who received very strong consideration for our award.

AURELIE RIVARD

Mlle. Rivard had an incredible 2016 winning 4 medals at the Paralympics in swimming – 3 golds, a silver and setting 2 world records. The 20-year-old from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu is a Paralympic veteran already with many additional medals won at World Championship events. Mlle. Rivard has been described by her mentor – M. Benoit Huot – and a Paralympic swimming legend as “as a champion brimming with positive energy and continues to push herself to new accomplishments.” Tremendous words of praise for this outstanding athlete. M. Huot also insists that the best is yet to come in athletics for Mlle. Rivard.

Mlle. Rivard now has a career tally of 22 medals from competing in the Commonwealth Games, Parapan Am Games, World champions and two Paralympic Games. So, if the best is to come, everyone should hold on to their hats and make it a point to follow Mlle. Rivard.

Prime Sports Report salutes Mlle. Rivard and wishes her bon chance in all her future endeavours and we will be watching her athletic performances and reporting on them via our Ms. Claire Buchanan.

BROOKE HENDERSON

Ms. Brooke Henderson has taken the LPGA by storm. And it began in 2016 as an 18-year-old.

In June 2016, Ms. Henderson become the youngest ever winner of the Women’s PGA Championship. A month later Ms. Henderson won her third LPGA event with a victory in the Cambia Portland Classic (second consecutive). Three LPGA victories before her 19^th birthday for the Smith Falls, ON native.

Ms. Henderson joined Sandra Post and Lorie Kane as the only Canadians to win multiple LPGA events in the same season and is tied with the late Dawn Coe-Jones and Lisa Walters among Canadians with three LPGA wins, behind Post with eight and Kane with four.

In September Ms. Henderson competed for Canada at the Rio Olympics.

At the end of 2016 Ms. Henderson is ranked 8 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings

And let us repeat that Ms. Henderson is currently 19 years old. 19!!

Ms. Henderson was the winner of the Canadian Press’s Athlete of the year for 2015.

Ms. Henderson’s accomplishments to date are undeniably amazing given the fierce and formidable competition on the LPGA.

Prime Sports Report expects to be advising its readers of many more Tour wins for Ms. Henderson and wishes her continued success.

2016 was truly the Year of the Gals. These three outstanding women achieved athletic successes of which athletes can only dream. Congratulations ladies for your tremendous accomplishments and for the honour and joy you bring for us to be able to witness it.

PRIME SPORTS REPORT COMMENTARY – January 1, 2017

THE DIVINE MISS PENNY

PRIME SPORTS REPORT INAUGURAL

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2016

THE YEAR OF THE GALS

There were also some terrific individual performances – LeBron James; Usain ‘The Insane” Bolt; Sidney Crosby; Tom Brady; Mike Trout; Clayton Kershaw; Jamie Vardy; Ronaldo; and many others.

However, one athlete’s achievements for 2016 stands out above all others – that of 16-year-old Ms. Penny Oleksiak of Toronto. Again – 16 years old. In fact, just turned 16.

Ms. Oleksiak’s 2016 athletic achievements were stunning, remarkable, brilliant, fantastic, unexpected, and absolutely glorious. There are not enough superlatives to describe the accomplishments of the incredible Ms. Oleksiak.

At 16 years’ old, Ms. Oleksiak, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, won a gold in the freestyle, silver in the butterfly, and 2 bronze in freestyle relay becoming the first Canadian swimmer to win 4 Olympic medals and the first Canadian to win 4 Olympic medals in one Summer Games.

AT 16 YEARS, OLD!!! Furthermore, no Olympic champion had ever been born in the 2000’s.

That Olympic success earned Ms. Oleksiak the privilege of carrying the Canadian flag during the Rio closing ceremonies.

But Ms. Oleksiak’s accomplishments did not end at Rio. At the World Short Course Championships held this past December, Ms. Oleksiak won a freestyle bronze and anchored relay teams to 2 golds and a silver.

And for those athletic achievements, Ms. Oleksiak was awarded the Canadian Press’s Female Athlete of the Year and become the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Lou Marsh award as Canada’s Athlete of the Year for 2016.

Not bad for a grade 11 high school student.

Most Canadians are well aware, by now, of Ms. Oleksiak’s story and successes and well deserved awards and recognition. It is as wonderful and joyous story as one could have.

Keep it going kid – you are aces in our book.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

PSR would be remis is if honourable mentions were not made for two other athletes who received very strong consideration for our award.

AURELIE RIVARD

Mlle. Rivard now has a career tally of 22 medals from competing in the Commonwealth Games, Parapan Am Games, World champions and two Paralympic Games. So, if the best is to come, everyone should hold on to their hats and make it a point to follow Mlle. Rivard.

Prime Sports Report salutes Mlle. Rivard and wishes her bon chance in all her future endeavours and we will be watching her athletic performances and reporting on them via our Ms. Claire Buchanan.

BROOKE HENDERSON

Ms. Brooke Henderson has taken the LPGA by storm. And it began in 2016 as an 18-year-old.

In June 2016, Ms. Henderson become the youngest ever winner of the Women’s PGA Championship. A month later Ms. Henderson won her third LPGA event with a victory in the Cambia Portland Classic (second consecutive). Three LPGA victories before her 19th birthday for the Smith Falls, ON native.

Ms. Henderson joined Sandra Post and Lorie Kane as the only Canadians to win multiple LPGA events in the same season and is tied with the late Dawn Coe-Jones and Lisa Walters among Canadians with three LPGA wins, behind Post with eight and Kane with four.

In September Ms. Henderson competed for Canada at the Rio Olympics.

At the end of 2016 Ms. Henderson is ranked 8 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings

And let us repeat that Ms. Henderson is currently 19 years old. 19!!

Ms. Henderson was the winner of the Canadian Press’s Athlete of the year for 2015.

Ms. Henderson’s accomplishments to date are undeniably amazing given the fierce and formidable competition on the LPGA.

Prime Sports Report expects to be advising its readers of many more Tour wins for Ms. Henderson and wishes her continued success.

2016 was truly the Year of the Gals. These three outstanding women achieved athletic successes of which athletes can only dream. Congratulations ladies for your tremendous accomplishments and for the honour and joy you bring for us to be able to witness it.

PRIME SPORTS REPORT COMMENTARY – January 1, 2017

In June 2016, Ms. Henderson become the youngest ever winner of the Women’s PGA Championship. A month later Ms. Henderson won her third LPGA event with a victory in the Cambia Portland Classic (second consecutive). Three LPGA victories before her 19^th birthday for the Smith Falls, ON native.