Despite Surprise Bowman Departure, 2x Bronze Medalist Ilya Kharun is Thriving at Arizona State

Fresh off of leading Arizona State to its first NCAA team title in program history, Bob Bowman announced he would be leaving to head up the swim and dive program at Texas. A number of athletes left Arizona State following this announcement, either to follow Bob Bowman to Austin or pursue their swimming at other programs. One athlete who had trained under Bowman and was expected to follow him (from the outside) was freshman Ilya Kharun.

The Canadian national had seen vast improvement under Bowman in just one year, capping his season with an NCAA title in the 200 fly. However, having built a life and community in Tempe already, Kharun opted to stay and train under newly named head coach and ASU alum Herbie Behm. It seemed to work for the rising sophomore, as he qualified for his first Canadian Olympic team and left Paris with 2 bronze medals in the 100 and 200 fly.

In this podcast, Kharun discusses his decision to stay at ASU, what training with coach Behm has been like, and how he managed his event load in Paris and wound up on the podium twice.

In the SwimSwam Podcast dive deeper into the sport you love with insider conversations about swimming. Hosted by Coleman Hodges and Gold Medal Mel Stewart, SwimSwam welcomes both the biggest names in swimming that you already know, and rising stars that you need to get to know, as we break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.

Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com

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Lpman
23 days ago

People can thrive without Bowman???????

Gen D
23 days ago

wow, great interview from Kharun! he has become way more comfortable talking about his swimming over the years. nice to see!

Khachaturian
23 days ago

ASU record board is gonna look daunting after this year

NoFastTwitch
Reply to  Khachaturian
22 days ago

Might as well etch it in stone

snailSpace
Reply to  NoFastTwitch
22 days ago

Except for the butterflies and possibly the 50 free.

Khase Calisz
23 days ago

I have a feeling that the new sprint group with Herbie and now Salo have something in store for us at the next world trials; specifically Johnny and Patrick in the 100m free next year

swimapologist
Reply to  Khase Calisz
23 days ago

Serious question: who was Salo’s last successful 100 long course meter freestyler who was successful internationally? Especially for men?

Dylan Carter comes to mind as a sprinter generally. Not sure when he stopped training with Salo, but he really improved last year (to 48.1) and I don’t think he’s with Salo anymore.

I know he’s got the nickname, but I really can’t think of his last great male 100 freestyler. Has he ever coached a 47-point freestyler? What about a 52-point woman? What was Hardy’s best time?

oxyswim
Reply to  swimapologist
23 days ago

Morozov was still training at USC when he went 47.6. Hardy was 53.8 training with him, but that time meant a lot more in 2012. Think the area where he has the best track record is coaching breaststrokers though, especially women. Soni, Hardy, Efimova, Jendrick, and Beard to name a handful. First guy to go 17 on a relay in yards and 10k open water Olympic champ.

Not too many coaches with a better on paper resume than Salo.

Guy
Reply to  swimapologist
23 days ago

Santo Condorelli – Sub 48 in Rio, 4th place, less than a few hundreths of a second off a medal. Nikita Lobinstev was a great 100 freestyler who also had success with him.

Last edited 23 days ago by Guy
4 kick pullout
Reply to  Guy
23 days ago

Santo was exclusively with Coley prior to Rio for that whole year (2015-2016 season)

dsc
Reply to  swimapologist
23 days ago

Wasn’t Lezak with him at some point?

4 kick pullout
Reply to  dsc
23 days ago

I know Lezak was self coached towards the end but I’m unsure on the time between UCSB and self-coaching.

Admin
Reply to  dsc
22 days ago

Yes, Lezak was with Salo when he was a kid, and then after college until 2006 when he left for USC. He trained by himself from 2006-2008, with 2008 being when he swam ‘the anchor’.

zthomas
23 days ago

Interesting side note: He was interviewed 2 years ago – the memorable part of the interview was he mentioned doing 60 100’s on 1:02. He specifically said then that Herbie was who recruited him and he made a point to indicate Herbie was his coach, not Bob.

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
23 days ago

Yeah, I’m pretty sure Ilya was not coached by Herbie until after Bob left. I saw another interview I believe, not sure if it was one Coleman did, where Bob and Herbie talked about Ilya going 18 in the 50 with just Bob’s training.

zthomas
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
23 days ago

let me clarify: Ilya wasn’t on campus yet. In the interview he was walking through his recruitment process and he made a point to say he was recruited by Herbie, not Bob. So I was incorrect when I said “herbie was his coach.” What I meant: he seemed to indicate it was Herbie, not Bob, that drove his decision to go to ASU.

Wella Hartig
Reply to  zthomas
23 days ago

When you get that bond with the assistant, it’s really a trust and and a friendship that lasts a lifetime!

OldManSwims
23 days ago

A little disappointed you didn’t ask him explicitly whether he plans to continue representing Canada Coleman, but I do like that he said “we’re not there YET” when talking about making the podium in medley relay, makes me think he wants to stick around. Fingers crossed!

Last edited 23 days ago by OldManSwims
Sparkle
Reply to  OldManSwims
23 days ago

I don’t think he’s going to stop representing Canada, it doesn’t make sense – he’d have to give up 3 years of international competition and would have a much tougher path towards making the US team

TJR
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
23 days ago

I am not aware for the rules determining what country one chooses to represent – is the rule that an athlete must sit out 3 years of international competition before representing another country – even if you are a dual citizen of both countries? That seems onerous but maybe correct. Happy to hear other’s insights on this.

Admin
Reply to  TJR
23 days ago

Not before your first choice, but if you’re switching choices. There are some loopholes for junior representation and bona-fide connections to other countries, though it’s unclear how the latter will be applied so far.

"we've got a boil-over!"
Reply to  Sparkle
23 days ago

In terms of this “tougher pathway”, let’s not forget he finished well in front of the top Americans in both fly events in Paris. In the 100 he would have tight competition to make teams, not unlike facing Liendo up north. But he’s got clear water in the 200 for sure.

Former swimmer
Reply to  "we've got a boil-over!"
23 days ago

But the nine day event with semi finals makes it a very tough pathway here in the United States.

Troyy
Reply to  Former swimmer
23 days ago

And no need to double taper if he remains with Canada.

swimgeek
Reply to  "we've got a boil-over!"
23 days ago

Yes he has Liendo, who is now better than anyone in USA – but he’s got 2nd place locked down. Far far more depth in U.S. making top-2 a tougher battle

Sparkle
Reply to  "we've got a boil-over!"
23 days ago

That’s fair, he would easily make the 2 fly but he only went 51.09 at Canadian trials in the 1 fly which would have gotten him 4th at US trials. I’m not saying he couldn’t make it but it would be a lot harder than what he faces in Canada

samulih
Reply to  OldManSwims
23 days ago

some people like their country and see no need to change.

Towelie
Reply to  samulih
23 days ago

This is true, but Ilya was in such a weird situation. He thought he was a US citizen until he made junior pan pacs and got removed from the team after they realized that he wasn’t. He was born in Montreal but grew up in Vegas, he probably never considered himself Canadian until he realized that he couldn’t compete for the US. Regardless I don’t see much of a reason for him to stop representing Canada

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Towelie
23 days ago

Right, it was kinda a happy accident for him, in that way.

Xman
Reply to  Towelie
23 days ago

Sounds like the pilot of Silicon Valley

Sapiens Ursus
Reply to  Towelie
23 days ago

(51st state… will get downvoted but, in a smaller and smaller world its more and more true)

Citizenship
Reply to  samulih
23 days ago

Well, my understanding (not directly from Ilya; I could be wrong, and I haven’t yet listened through the interview) was he saw enough of a need to change to pursue and receive his actual US Citizenship, while not being required to change his sporting citizenship. We’ll see how the next few years go.

Admin
Reply to  Citizenship
23 days ago

1) If you can get a second citizenship, and specifically be a citizen of the country you live in, why wouldn’t you? Makes life easier in a lot of ways. Especially
2) NIL.

snailSpace
23 days ago

Oh and about the not breathing at the end thing: Milak in particular breathes almost every stroke, and it worked out great for him, so idk if it’s a rising trend or not (I believe he was breathing every stroke when he produced his 49.68 ER with the 26.03 second 50 – the fastest ever in a 100 fly).

Carl Spackler
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
23 days ago

Pretty sure Summer breathes every stroke for fly too.

snailSpace
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
23 days ago

That’s fair. But I think it’s an exception that’s going to regurarly occur from time to time, when the best of the 200 fliers venture down to the 100.

Last edited 23 days ago by snailSpace
YGBSM
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
23 days ago

Correct.

I would also add that the elite of the elite, best in the world, also have additional skill sets / strengths that even most very fast swimmers don’t have. Thus, Phelps & Co. can get away with more breathing because otherwordly strengths make up for the tiny slowdown of taking a breath. Great core strength, insane walls, catching and holding water, efficient kick, name it, allows for the constant breathing.

“See, Michael Phelps breathed every stroke. I should too. I need more breaths!!” ~ said every age grouper ever, as they swim uphill, desperately seeking their next gulp of air.

Gunky
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
23 days ago

I feel like I remember Austin Staab not taking a breath on the final length of his 100 yard fly American Record.

TNM
Reply to  Gunky
23 days ago

Video quality of that race is poor but I confirm the no breath final 25. I believe I read somewhere that he blacked out for a few seconds after the race.

Bubba
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
23 days ago

Its also interesting to note that Pan breathed pretty much every stroke in his 100 free, and Chalmers is famous for breathing every stroke right up to the finish.

Its definitely not required to go “no-breath” to be fast.

Caleb
Reply to  Bubba
23 days ago

freestyle is not butterfly

Kwazii
Reply to  Bubba
23 days ago

Gretchen breathed every stroke in her WR 100 Fly too.

Mac Stang
Reply to  Bubba
22 days ago

Except Pan didn’t breath the first 25m

Bubba
Reply to  Mac Stang
21 days ago

Not true, watch the video. He breathes every stroke after the breakout.

Swammer
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
23 days ago

Ponti also breathes every stroke in the 100

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
23 days ago

It’s just finding a balance of the amount of oxygen deprivation your body can handle while maintaining speed. Which I think more and more athletes are starting to push the boundary on (see Dressel, Liendo, and now Kharun)

Right, which is why those guys mostly just do it at the end of races, because the only price they’re paying for it happens after they hit the wall, if at all.

If they did that going into the 50 wall or something they’d most likely bonk p bad

snailSpace
23 days ago

He really embraced being Canadian.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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