Olympic medallist swimmer Ilya Kharun switches from Canada to U.S.

Olympic medallist swimmer Ilya Kharun is switching nationwide allegiances.

The 20-year-old, who has represented Canada since 2022, introduced Monday that he’ll signify the United States going ahead.

Born in Montreal, Kharun is a two-time Olympic medallist, incomes bronze within the males’s 100- and 200-metre butterfly occasions on the Paris 2024 Games.

He additionally gained bronze within the 100 butterfly on the 2025 world championships.

In an Instagram submit, Kharun mentioned he grew up in Las Vegas and has lived in America his entire life. He thanked Canada for its help whereas saying he all the time felt like an American.

“I’d like to thank everyone in Canada. It’s been incredible to travel the world representing Canada and while competing with the top Canadian athletes,” Kharun wrote on Instagram. “Despite the incredible support I’ve received from Canada, I’ve always felt like an American. I grew up in Las Vegas. I’ve lived in America my whole life. I’ve never represented a club team outside of USA Swimming. I’ve got a long career left as a swimmer and I’d like to be based at home. And that home is in the USA.”

In an announcement from Swimming Canada, high-performance director and nationwide coach John Atkinson mentioned Kharun’s accomplishments with the Canadian program can by no means be taken away.

“What he has executed as a part of our nationwide crew is a part of our historical past. We want him all the most effective and he stays a good friend to our nationwide crew,” Atkinson mentioned.

— with recordsdata from Sportsnet Staff