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Rio 2016: Canadian women take bronze in 4×100 freestyle relay

Team Canada, Canada's Sandrine Mainville, Canada's Chantal van Landeghem, Canada's Taylor Ruck and Canada's Penny Oleksiak celebrate after they won bronze in the Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final during the swimming event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 6, 2016. CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images

RIO DE JANEIRO – Canada has its first medal of the Rio Olympics after the women’s 4×100 relay swim team won bronze in the opening day’s final event in the pool.

Canada was in third for most of the race, and 16-year-old Penny Oleksiak held off the Netherlands with a strong anchor leg.

Oleksiak combined with Sandrine Mainville, Chantal Van Landeghem and Taylor Ruck, another 16-year-old, to finish in a time of three minutes 32.89 seconds.

WATCH: 16-year-old Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak making waves in Rio

Michelle Williams, who didn’t swim in the final but participated in the earlier heats, will also get a medal.

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It’s Canada’s first medal in the event in 40 years.

Australia won gold, while the United States took silver.

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