Two-time Olympic medalist and current short course world champion Ilya Kharun announced Monday he’s changing his sporting citizenship to represent the United States on the international stage after swimming under the Canadian flag for the past three and a half years.
Kharun, 20, made the announcement on Instagram, noting that he’s lived in the U.S. his entire life and “always felt like an American.”
Hey everyone, I’ve got big news. I’m changing my international representation from Canada to USA.
First off, 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. John Atkinson and everyone representing Swim Canada, thank you. I would not be the swimmer or person I am today without your support. To my Canadian teammates, thank you. You helped me progress into the person I am today. You guys really made me feel like I was part of a family. It’s been an honor wearing the Maple Leaf flag and everyone in Canada will always have my support.
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.
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Kharun told SwimSwam that his sporting citizenship change becomes official on October 26, 2026–just in time for the U.S. selection meet for the Short Course World Championships.
World Aquatics rules dictate that a swimmer must observe a 12-month waiting period from the last time they represented their former country before repping a new nation at a World Aquatics event. His last meet for Canada was the Toronto leg of the 2025 World Cup, which concluded on October 25.
Kharun was born in Montreal, Quebec, as his Ukrainian parents were performers in the Canadian-based entertainment company Cirque de Soleil, but he grew up in Las Vegas and swam for the Sandpipers of Nevada.
In 2022, Kharun was named to the U.S. team for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships, but he was removed from the roster before the competition after it was learned that he only held a Canadian passport, and thus would have to compete for the nation he was born in.
After representing Canada at the 2022 Short Course World Championships and 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Kharun officially became an American citizen in early April 2024, but said at the time he planned on continuing to swim for Canada on the international stage.
Later that year, he made his Olympic debut for Canada, winning a pair of bronze medals in the men’s 100 fly (50.45) and 200 fly (1:52.80), with the latter still standing as the Canadian Record.
At the end of 2024, he won the short course world title in the men’s 200 fly (1:48.24) and added a silver medal in the 50 fly (21.67), with both marks still standing as the national record. He also won two silver and one bronze medal on the Canadian relays at the meet.
At the 2025 World Championships, Kharun won bronze in the men’s 100 fly, putting up a new lifetime best of 50.07, just shy of Josh Liendo‘s national record set at the Paris Olympics (49.99). Kharun was also 4th in the 200 fly (1:54.34) and 9th in the 50 fly (22.85).
Most recently internationally, Kharun raced all three legs of the 2025 World Cup, earning a pair of Triple Crown bonuses in the men’s 50 fly and 200 fly. He set a pair of shortly-lived Canadian Records in the 50 free (20.72) and 100 fly (49.00) in Westmont, which were both broken by Liendo one week later in Toronto.
Swimming Canada High Performance Director John Atkinson expressed surprise and disappointment with the news.
“Ilya has been on a journey with us since we welcomed him as part of the national team in 2022,” Atkinson said, according to Devin Heroux of CBC Sports. “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.”
Currently a junior at Arizona State, Kharun was the runner-up to Liendo in the 100 fly at the 2025 Men’s NCAA Championships while also placing 3rd in the 200 fly and 4th in the 50 free.
The 2024 national champion in the 200 fly, Kharun heads into his third Men’s NCAA Championships in two months. He’ll go head-to-head with his former countryman, Liendo, in the 100 fly, while in the 200 fly, he’ll face his new domestic rival, Luca Urlando—the defending NCAA champion and reigning world champion.
Soon all the “Canadian” swimmers may be swimming for the USA… 😐🙃
“…Despite the incredible support I’ve received from Canada, I’ve always felt like an American…”
“…I’d like to be based at home. And that home is in the USA…”
Weren’t you based in USA, when you were swimming for Canada ? Nothing changes now.
Just say you’re doing it for the money, there is no shame in admitting that. (APA is more than what Canadians receive with their carding funding, not to mention USAS gives Toyota and Omega sponsorships to many of its stars)
But be careful for what you wish for, once you start declining (due to age, injuries or when other young US phenoms start popping up left and right in your events), you will end up with… Read more »
Yea, he definitely flipped to USA for that 45k in APA…
He’s an American. He wants to swim for the country that he grew up in and that he has allegiance to. Not sure why this is such a hard concept for people to grasp. He had to make a fast decision at 17 years old regarding his citizenship and Canada was the best option at that time.
Yet there are Americans who honestly seem to think Summer will switch to representing USA in the future…
A delusional take for sure.
He is also Canadian by birth, and reaped the benefits of participating in international competition by that fact, until it became more convenient to switch to his acquired citizenship.
I think he moved to America when he was as a toddler and doesn’t even remember Canada.
He was born in Montreal and was raised in Las Vegas
I bet you are real fun at parties, bud
Swim Fanatic — Your comments are a demonstration of how your brain works but I’ve seen no facts demonstrating that Ilya’s brain works in the same way.
US men’s 100 fly is gonna be a bloodbath … Kharun, Casas, Michael Andrew, Rose, Heilman. And i’m probably missing some!
Dandy D..
Snuck MA in there.
I doubt he will swim the 100s, 50s more like it.
Only missing the world record holder, nbd…
On point except MA??
Oh not the MA sneak
Maybe a bloodbath in the face for 3rd place. Kharun and Casas are head-and-shoulders ahead of the rest.
Today (January 27, 2026) is the big day! It’s Coach Greg Meehan’s 50th birthday: born on January 27, 1976.
He’s our “half-century” guy. But that’s not all —> he was born on Mozart’s 220th birthday (who was born on Jan 27, 1756).
That makes Greg the “Mozart of the American swim coaches.”
How about some “Eine Kleine Schwimmenmusik!”
Mandrew to south Africa
The chances of Dressel making the olympic team in 28 just took a hit
He was gonna drop down to the 50s anyway probably
But I thought the rules are that if you don’t qualify in the corresponding 100s of stroke, you don’t qualify in the 50s of stroke?
He has a higher ceiling than Kharun, even at this age
What happens when the USA loses the Olympics and gets banned in 2028?
Australia?
for human rights violations, it should
You guys are real pieces of work.
When did they change this from 3 years to 1? It used to be that you had to not represent your last country for three years before you could represent your new one.
If I were someone like Kennedy Noble or Josephine Fuller, I’d be contacting the Swedish Olympic Committee. They’re a backstroker away from an almost guaranteed Olympic relay medal.
https://swimswam.com/world-aquatics-reduces-sporting-citizenship-swaps-to-1-year-waiting-softens-rules-for-juniors/