Canada collecting medals in Rio but when will first gold come?

RIO DE JANEIRO - All they need is gold. And if and when it comes, this Team Canada figures to make enough noise in the Athletes Village to echo all the way to Vancouver.

Going into Day 6 at these Rio Olympics, they’ve already done something no Team Canada has ever done before: five days down, and a medal to show for each one of them.

But amid all these medals - one silver, and five bronze - there’s one question: When does the first gold come?

Here’s the field, from favourites to contenders to outsiders.

THE FAVOURITE

Who else? Penny Oleksiak already has three medals, and needs just one more to become the most decorated Canadian at a Summer Olympics. And here’s the thing. At 16, she appears to have boundless energy and no fear, and on Wednesday night was 1/100th of a second off world record-holder Cate Campbell of Australia’s Olympic record time of 52.71 in the 100-metre freestyle semifinal.

It was a big jump forward from the morning heat against her 24-year-old rival, gold medalist four years ago and in her third Olympics. In that one, Oleksiak finished in 53.43, and three-quarters of a second behind Campbell.

“I knew she was going fast because I basically saw her feet the whole race,” Oleksiak said of that earlier race. “It’s great to swim beside swimmers like her because they’ll push you.”

Knocking off Campbell for the gold -- and the six other world-class swimmers in the races, including her bronze medal-winning relay teammate Chantal van Landeghem -- is a big ask. But she’s answered every one of those so far. That makes tonight at 11:18 p.m. local time (10:18 Eastern) pretty much essential viewing. And Katerine Savard, who led off Wednesday night's 4x200 relay team that Oleksiak anchored to a bronze-medal placing, said Thursday she wouldn't be surprised at all to hear O Canada ring out.

"Penny got second in the semifinal, so why not?" said Savard. "Absolutely. It was really close. I guess everyone says when you have a lane you have a chance, so why not?"

THE CONTENDERS

Rosie MacLennan won gold on the trampoline in London, and carried the flag in here last Friday in recognition. She’s also coming in after a pair concussions last year, though her recent form suggests she’s over the health concerns. The final in the trampoline goes Friday afternoon here.

Daniel Nestor won a gold medal in Sydney, and now in the twilight of his career he and Vasek Pospisil face Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Mark Lopez Friday for a spot in Saturday’s men’s doubles final. With the weather backing up things on Wednesday, clearer skies today has led to a crowded schedule to make up -- Nadal faces as many as three matches, including singles and mixed doubles. He may well be running on fumes, and the Canadians, with that off day Thursday, might be able to take advantage. The gold-medal doubles is scheduled for Friday, by the way.

Heptathlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton opens the track and field program Friday with her first four events of the seven-sport heptathlon. The 800-metre final of the heptathlon finishes it all off late Saturday night - but by then, this first gold medal chase could well be moot.

THE OUTSIDERS

Santo Condorelli had a smashing swim on Wednesday night in the 100-metre freestyle final, going faster in the event than he’s ever gone before but settling for fourth place, 3/100ths of a second out of a medal spot. The shape of that race -- Condorelli blazing to the front and getting a little tired late -- suggests he’ll be sharp cutting back to sprinting 50 metres. The heats and semis go Thursday and the final goes Friday night.

If you want to fill out this ticket with some bombs, tag Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obee in rowing’s women’s lightweight double sculls Friday morning and maybe even the divers Jennifer Abel and Pamela Ware in the individual 3-metre springboard final later on in the weekend. Those are big asks -- but as Oleksiak has shown, anything’s possible.

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