Canadian swim star Ilya Kharun, who gained 2 bronze medals at Paris Olympics, says he’ll now compete for U.S.

Swimmer Ilya Kharun, considered one of Canada’s most promising athletes within the pool, has determined to compete for the United States.

The 20-year-old twin citizen, who gained two bronze medals on the Paris Olympics in 2024, shared the information Monday on social media.

Kharun, who was born in Montreal however grew up in Las Vegas, didn’t share many particulars as to why he’s making the transfer however stated he was grateful for Swimming Canada and his teammates. 

“John Atkinson and everyone representing Swimming Canada, thank you. I would not be the swimmer or person I am today without your support,” Kharun wrote in an Instagram post. “To my Canadian teammates, thanks. You helped me progress into the individual I’m at this time. It’s been an honour carrying the Maple Leaf.

In an interview with CBC Sports, excessive efficiency director and nationwide coach John Atkinson stated he was considerably stunned and dissatisfied to see him go by the information. 

And whereas it leaves an enormous gap within the Canadian males’s swimming roster, Atkinson thanked Kharun for all he did whereas competing for the nation.

“Ilya has been on a journey with us since we welcomed him as part of the national team in 2022,” Atkinson stated. “He’s a great person and a fantastic athlete. The historic things he has done for Canada in the pool can never be taken away. 

“What he has done as part of our national team is part of our history. We wish him all the best and he remains a friend to our national team.” 

WATCH | Kharun wins 50m butterfly:

Montreal’s Kharun wins 50m butterfly, Toronto’s Liendo claims bronze

Montreal’s Ilya Kharun finishes first within the males’s 50-metre butterfly last on the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2025 cease in Toronto with a time of 21.80. Toronto’s Josh Liendo locations third to seize the bronze medal.

Per World Aquatics guidelines, Kharun gained’t be capable to signify the United States till one yr after his launch from Swimming Canada. That interval of eligibility will expire properly earlier than the following Summer Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles.

Kharun, who attends swimming powerhouse Arizona State University, has represented Canada since 2022, highlighted by bronze medals within the 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly occasions in Paris. He turned the primary Canadian male to earn two medals at a single Games since Curtis Myden in 1996. 

Other highlights embrace gold within the 200m butterfly on the short-course world championships in Hungary in 2024, and bronze within the 100m fly eventually yr’s long-course world championships in Singapore. He holds the nationwide information within the long-course and short-course 50m butterfly and 200m butterfly occasions. 

Kharun, who turns 21 in February, additionally was a part of the 4x100m males’s medley relay workforce that broke the nationwide file twice eventually summer season’s world championships in Singapore to position fifth. 

There has been a sense in Swimming Canada circles that with Kharun, Josh Liendo and different key swimmers, the boys’s relay workforce simply would possibly discover a means onto the rostrum in L.A.

Kharun’s absence makes that a bit more difficult, however Atkinson stated the Canadian program has extra depth than it used to.

“One of the differences now compared to say 10 years, is that it’s not just about one or two swimmers. There are still swimmers like Blake Tierneys, Finlay Knox, Josh Liendo, Oliver Dawson and many others. We move forward with the group we have,” Atkinson stated.

“The bigger issue is taking a closer look at how we support Olympic and Paralympic athletes across all sports through Sport Canada and partners like COC and CPC and how they support all of our programs.” 

Kharun’s path to the Canadian nationwide workforce was an unintentional one. Though he was born in Montreal, Kharun spent solely the primary few months of his life in there along with his acrobat dad and mom, who carried out with Cirque du Soleil, earlier than shifting to Las Vegas. 

There he competed with an area program in Nevada and was on the trail to compete for the United States on the junior Pan Pacific championships in Hawaii in August 2022.

However, when Kharun went to register he had a Canadian passport on him and never an American passport. 

“It happened really quick. I was like, alright, I’m a Canadian now,” he advised CBC Sports in an interview in April 2023.

His final races as a Canadian on a world stage passed off this previous October as part of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup tour that had three completely different stops. There he turned the primary Canadian to seize a World Cup triple crown after profitable the 200m butterfly in any respect three.