Ilya Kharun Sets New Canadian, Pro Swim Series 50 Fly Records in 23.09

2025 Pro Swim Series – Fort Lauderdale

The Finals session of Day 3 in Fort Lauderdale saw Ilya Kharun compete in his first final, and  he did not disappoint as he surged to touch the wall ahead of Dylan Carter and Shaine Casas in a time of 23.09, breaking a pair of records in the process.

THese were the Canadian record, previously held by Finlay Knox in 23.25, and the Pro Swim Series record set by Matt Targett in 2012 with a time of 23.11

Coming into the finish, lanes 2 through 6 were neck and neck and ended up finishing within 0.35 of each other. Kharun timed his finish to perfection to out-touch Carter’s 23.24 and Shaine Casas‘ 23.25.

The 50 fly is not an event Kharun has competed in much in long course, his last swim coming in June last year. His best time stood at 23.27, set at the 2023 world championships, which had matched Josh Liendo‘s Canadian record at Canadian trials earlier that year. Finley Knox clipped that by 0.02 in Doha last year, so the Sun Devil reasserted himself tonight to snatch it back.

Top-5 Canadian 50 Fly Performers

  1. Ilya Kharun, 05/02/2025 – 23.09*
  2. Finlay Knox, 02/11/2024  – 23.25
  3. Josh Liendo, 04/02/2023 – 23.27
  4. Santo Condorelli, 07/02/2015 – 23.30
  5. Kelly Aspinall, 107/11/2013 – 23.52

Kharun had a spectacular short course season in this event, breaking 22 seconds on three occasions and ending up ranked #3 all-time with his timeof 21.67 which he took silver with. That would have been a world record just three months previously, before Noe Ponti embarked on a tear of his own.

He has also been a tour de force in the yards version of the event, especially so this season where his 50s have improved considerably under the tutelage of Herbie Behm. He split 18.78 at NCAAs and had multiple 19.0 or better splits scattered throughout the season, and took half a second off his 50 yard freestyle time as well.

This event also marked Caeleb Dressel‘s first final of the meet, as he scratched the 100 free prelims yesterday. He finished fourth here in 23.32, his fastest time since the 2022 World Championships. He’ll have his best two events, the 50 free and 100 fly, in the final prelims session tomorrow morning.

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LeBrOn JaMeS
20 days ago

Ilya is awesome

Thomas The Tank Engine
20 days ago

Kharun is targeting 50-100 fly double in LA

Rafael
Reply to  Thomas The Tank Engine
19 days ago

50 fly will be tougher than many expect due to freestyle/back experts also there (ceccon, caribe, crooks)

JuanASU
20 days ago

So proud of Ilya. Those times are amazing. His drops are a reflection of his hard work and the quality of the coaching team. Looking forward to watching his 100 fly.

If anyone would like to criticize his times or effort, please include your current 200 fly time at the end of your comment. If unable to swim, please include that too.

Josh nugget
20 days ago

Wow, 23.0 is moving for kharun, but 2:00 fly. Really, Herbie gotta realize that you aren’t going to win a NCAA with only sprinters, you need depth. Maybe re think things Herbie. And with all these talented transfers whats going to happen with the team. Are they going to have to cut class of 2025 or 2026 kids, or current swimmiers on the team.

Thomas The Tank Engine
Reply to  Josh nugget
20 days ago

Ilya can’t hear you over his 2 individual Olympic bronze medals.

Go leafs go
Reply to  Thomas The Tank Engine
19 days ago

Patrick Roy callback?

John
Reply to  Josh nugget
19 days ago

Noone cares about stupid NCAA. He’s targeting world’s and Olympics

Regan Smith 56 and 53 100 back
20 days ago

Liendo went 23.24 going out in his 100 fly in Paris

Khase Calisz
Reply to  Regan Smith 56 and 53 100 back
20 days ago

So? Dressel and Cavic regularly goes 22 high in the front half of the race when they are in form…

Last edited 20 days ago by Khase Calisz
HayeksPlaceInHell
Reply to  Khase Calisz
20 days ago

Using “regularly” to refer to something only ever done 3 times is certainly a choice one could make…

Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
20 days ago

Could he be the first to win 3 butterfly medals in one Olympiad?

saltie
Reply to  Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
20 days ago

not if he keeps up this sprint revolution BS. Bro won’t be able to finish a 100, forget a 200 fly

Suiii
Reply to  saltie
20 days ago

You should see his Monday afternoon practices. Far from Sprint Revolution

Buckeyeboy
Reply to  Suiii
20 days ago

Do tell. Inquiring minds want to know.

55.2 3rd 100 in a brief
Reply to  Suiii
20 days ago

One practice of the week ain’t gonna cut it bud😂

Last edited 20 days ago by 55.2 3rd 100 in a brief
Suiii
Reply to  55.2 3rd 100 in a brief
19 days ago

When you go faster than. 1:37/1:52 200 fly scy/lcm, then you can talk. Until then, I think he’s doing just fine.

Swimma 3
Reply to  Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
20 days ago

3 golds

Swim2
Reply to  Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
19 days ago

0% chance he does that