2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
- Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
- La Défense Arena — Paris, France
- LCM (50 meters)
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- Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
- Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
Racing in his first Olympic final, Ilya Kharun delivered.
The 19-year-old unleashed the fastest swim of his career in the final of the men’s 200 butterfly, securing the bronze medal and smashing his Canadian Record by over a second in 1:52.80.
Kharun takes down his previous national mark of 1:53.82, set at the 2023 World Championships (where he tied for 4th), and becomes just the ninth swimmer in history to eclipse the 1:53 barrier in the event.
The former Sandpipers of Nevada product who now trains out of Arizona State was much more aggressive over the first 100 meters relative to his swim last summer, and he was able to carry that momentum through the third 50, putting him more than a second and a half under his National Record pace at the final turn.
He gave a half-second back on the last 50, but it didn’t matter as he was firmly entrenched in the bronze medal position.
Split Comparison
| Kharun, 2023 | Kharun, 2024 |
| 25.74 | 25.06 |
| 54.94 (29.20) | 53.67 (28.61) |
| 1:24.67 (29.73) | 1:23.04 (29.37) |
| 1:53.82 (29.15) | 1:52.80 (29.76) |
In the race for gold, Frenchman Leon Marchand, Kharun’s former training partner at ASU, came from behind to win the title in epic fashion over defending champion Kristof Milak, with Marchand clocking 1:51.21 to break Milak’s Olympic Record and overtake Michael Phelps for #2 all-time.
Coming into the meet tied for 16th all-time, Kharun rockets up to 7th in the historical rankings. It was also the fourth-fastest swim ever by a teenager, trailing only three of Milak’s swims.
All-Time Performers, Men’s 200 Butterfly (LCM)
- Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:50.34 – 2022 World Championships
- Leon Marchand (FRA), 1:51.21 – 2024 Olympic Games
- Michael Phelps (USA), 1:51.51 – 2009 World Championships
- Daiya Seto (JPN), 1:52.53 – 2020 FINA Champions Series – Beijing
- Laszlo Cseh (HUN) / Tomoru Honda (JPN), 1:52.70 – 2008 Olympic Games / 2022 Japan Opej
- –
- Ilya Kharun (CAN), 1:52.80 – 2024 Olympic Games
- Chad Le Clos (RSA), 1:52.96 – 2012 Olympic Games
- Takeshi Matsuda (JPN), 1:52.97 – 2008 Olympic Games
- Pawel Korzeniowski (POL), 1:53.23 – 2009 World Championships
Kharun’s swim holds extra significance for Canadians, as his medal marks the first time a Canadian male has won an Olympic swimming medal since 2012, when Ryan Cochrane (1500 free silver) and Brent Hayden (100 free bronze) both reached the podium. Richard Weinberger also won bronze in the men’s open water event in London.
FLYING TO BRONZE 🥉
Ilya Kharun wins bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly at #Paris2024 #MedalMoments presented by @petrocanada pic.twitter.com/CAZJ2gWmOF
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) July 31, 2024
Kharun is also entered to swim the 100 fly in Paris, coming in as the 13th seed with his personal best time of 51.09 set in May. Teammate Josh Liendo is the top seed at 50.06.
Heilman will have some work to do if he wants to reach the podium for the 200 fly in the future
Wow! Over a second improvement! In a slow pool nonetheless!
This is most likely going to be the understated/underrated swim of the meet.
I think Kharun should reconsider staying at ASU to train vs switching to Texas!
I don’t think he’s considered leaving ASU to go to Texas, has he?
Hoping Ilya stays Canadian.Reason number 1,trials where he can enter without tapering and be assured he’s going to at least the next 2 Olympics.Reason number 2,as he evolves I’m sure he can branch out and make Canadian relay teams, not just medleys but freestyle relays too.Why create problems for yourself?You,re a citizen of the world like your parents.Go Canada go.
To be fair, if he’s going 1:52 while the best Americans are going 1:54, he probably won’t need to come down much to make the US team. Heilman will hopefully come down in the coming years, but Kharun just put a good amount of separation between himself and all the other North Americans.
This is the first time since 1996 that Canadian male and female swimmers have medaled in the same Olympics.
🇨🇦🥉👍👏