Speedo Grand Challenge Day 2: Kharun and Rose Battle In 100 Fly, Both Sub-51 Seconds

2025 NOVA SPEEDO GRAND CHALLENGE

• May 23-25, 2025
• William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center Pool, Irvine, California
• Long Course Meters (50 meters)
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2025 CA 29th NOVA-Speedo Grand Challenge”
• YouTube Livestream
• Day 1 Recap

Ilya Kharun turned in his third sub-51 second 100-meter butterfly this month on Day 2 of the NOVA Speedo Grand Challenge. Kharun, the Paris Olympic bronze medalist in this race, fired off a 50.66 for the win as he was joined under the barrier by 2023 Worlds bronze medalist He was joined under the barrier by 2023 Worlds bronze medalist Dare Rose, who clocked 50.93 at his first meet since the 2025 NCAA Championships.

Kharun led the entire way, opening the race in 23.48 to Rose’s 23.83. Rose pushed on the back half with a 27.10 to Kharun’s 27.18, but Kharun’s opening speed was too much for Rose to get over the top of down the final stretch.

Until this month, Kharun had only broken 51 seconds at the Olympic Games, but he’s unlocked a new level in the buildup to next month’s Canadian Trials for the 2025 World Championships. He began the month by swimming a lifetime best 50.42 to win at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim, which ranks second in the world this season. Then, he swam 50.93 at the Sun Devil Open last week.

Rose’s 50.93 makes him the seventh man in the world to break 51 seconds this season and the second-fastest American. He slots into the world rankings at 7^th ahead of Nyls Korstanje’s 50.97 and second in the national rankings behind Shaine Casas’ 50.82. The swim is a strong season-opener for Rose, who is aiming to get back on the senior international team roster this year. After winning 100 butterfly bronze at the 2023 World Championships, Rose finished third at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, missing his first Olympic berth by four-hundredths. He swam a 50.84 in the final at Lucas Oil Stadium, and his swim last night was just nine-hundredths from that time.

There was plenty of action in the day’s other events as well, including Sahiel Pai breaking the long-standing National Age Group Record in the U.S. boys’ 11-12 100 breaststroke in a stunning 1:07.97.

As they did yesterday, the Cal Bears made their presence known as many of them are at a long-course meet for the first time this season ahead of the 2025 U.S. National Championships. There’s a void at the top of American men’s backstroke this season as long-time Bear and Olympic champion Ryan Murphy announced he is not competing this season. Fellow Cal Bear and Paris Olympian Keaton Jones aims to keep it in the family and step into the top spot in the 200 backstroke.

Jones showed signs of that last fall; he was the American representative in the 200 backstroke Olympic final after Murphy missed out. Jones got his long-course season underway with a 1:57.30 for the win in Irvine. The swim immediately makes him the fastest American in the event this season, checking in two-hundredths ahead of Kieran Smith’s 1:57.32 from March.

Jones was the only swimmer in the final to break two minutes, as Yeziel Morales touched in 2:00.71 and Destin Lasco at 2:03.55.

Another Cal Bear, Lucas Henveaux, earned the win in the men’s 400 freestyle with a 3:50.24 to cap the session. This is not Henveaux’s first long-course meet of the season; he swept his events at the Belgian Open Championships in April, including swimming 3:46.76 to win the 400 freestyle. In Irvine, Krzysztof Chmielewski finished second to Henveaux in the 400 freestyle with a 3;56.35. He was on the back half of a 100 butterfly/400 freestyle double. He swam 53.28 for fourth in the 100 butterfly.

Canadian swimmers swept the 100 butterfly wins as Olympic gold medalist Penny Oleksiak matched Kharun with a win. Oleksiak, best known for her sprint freestyle, edged out 14-year-old Gabi Brito for the win in 59.53. The swim is a season-best for Oleksiak, as she improves from the 1:00.01 she swam in Fort Lauderdale and breaks 1:00 for the first time since 2020.

Brito’s 59.60 is a lifetime best for her as she keeps rolling through a sensational spring. She improves from the 1:00.07 lifetime best she swam at the Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions, launching from 13^th in her age group among U.S. girls to fourth.

Top 5 U.S. 13-14 Girls, 100 Butterfly (LCM)

1. Claire Curzan, TAC Titans – 58.61 (2019)
2. Audrey Derivaux, Jersey Wahoos – 58.93 (2024)
3. Kendyl Stewart, North Coast Aquatics – 59.51 (2009)
4. Gabi Brito, Beach Cities – 59.60 (2025)
5. Alex Shackell, Carmel – 59.61 (2021)

Justina Kozan won twice on Saturday. First, she swam 2:00.29 for the 200 freestyle win, pulling away from the field and beating Camille Henveaux’s 2:01.48 by almost a second. Then, she won the 400 IM with a 4:49.39.