PARIS, Texas – The moment wasn’t too big for Ilya Kharun.
While La Defense Arena whipped itself into a frenzy over his college teammate and host-country hero Leon Marchand, the 19-year-old from Montreal kept his nerve and produced the first Olympic swim medal by a Canadian man in a dozen years.
Kharun claimed bronze in the men’s 200-metre butterfly Wednesday in Paris behind French winner Marchand and silver medallist Kristof Milak of Hungary.
“It means a lot. I’m really happy that I got to this moment,” Kharun said.
His was Canada’s third swim medal in Paris after Summer McIntosh’s medley gold and freestyle silver. Kharun was the first Canadian to reach the Olympic podium in 200 fly, although McIntosh is primed to join him Thursday in the women’s event.
Kharun’s Arizona State Sun Devils teammate Marchand also won the 200-metre breaststroke later Wednesday evening to further ratchet up the hype in the arena, and make the 22-year Frenchman a triple gold medallist in Paris. Kharun wasn’t intimidated by him in the 200 fly final
“I”m really happy that I actually got to race with him,” Kharun said. “We’re enemies in the pool and outside of it we’re really good friends.
“The atmosphere is absolutely crazy in here. It’s just so great. I just kept my cool and breathed and that’s it.”
Marchand broke Milak’s Olympic record in 200 fly in one minute, 51.21 seconds. The Hungarian touched the wall in 1:51.75 followed by Kharun with a Canadian record 1:52.80.
Brent Hayden in the 100-metre freestyle, Ryan Cochrane in the 1,500 freestyle and open-water swimmer Richard Weinberger in London in 2012 were the last Canadian men to win Olympic swim medals — when Kharun was nine.
Kharun, who will also race Friday’s 100-metre butterfly, tied for fourth in the 200 in last year’s world championships.
He’s somewhat of an accidental Canadian. His says his Ukrainian parents Valeriy and Oksama were acrobats in an international travelling circus.
“I just happened to be born” in Montreal “because that’s where the circus was stationed,” said Kharun, who was raised in Las Vegas while his parents performed in Cirque du Soleil shows.
“I’m really happy to represent Canada and it’s just so amazing to show everyone what I can do,” he said.
Kharun dabbled in acrobatics too, but says that pursuit was too expensive and he eventually landed in swimming. Kharun thought his father, who provided the shoulders for other acrobats to stand on, might have passed on a genetic gift that works well in swimming.
“My dad is very, very strong, so I think I just got that from him,” Kharun said.
Kharun was recruited to Arizona State by Michael Phelps’ former coach Bob Bowman, who left the Sun Devils in April for the University of Texas.
McIntosh posted the fastest time in the women’s 200 fly semifinals Wednesday, so the two-time world champion will have the coveted middle lane to chase her second gold and third medal of the meet Thursday.
She’ll have an advantageous view of her competition in lane four, and the water is less turbulent in the middle of the pool than at the edges.
“My goal for tonight was to try and get a decent lane for the final,” McIntosh said. “I didn’t really care if I was first or anything, but also wanted to feel on my stroke as best as possible and overall was happy with it.”
Sydney Pickrem of Clearwater, Fla., finished ninth and Winnipeg’s Kelsey Wog 13th in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke semifinal. The top eight advanced to Thursday’s final.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2024.
