Canadian swimmer Ilya Kharun is aware of a factor or two about getting into the highlight and stealing the present.
The 18-year-old who was born in Montreal however has spent nearly all of his life dwelling within the United States is the son of two dad and mom who spent most of their lives performing with Cirque du Soleil.
“My household was travelling all over the world and I simply occurred to be born in Montreal,” he informed CBC Sports on the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre throughout nationwide trials this week.
“My dad and mom have been all the time performers. Now they’re retired. I used to be all the time a part of the expertise. My household have been acrobats. Both my mother and pop have been within the present.”
Kharun solely spent the primary few months of his life in Montreal along with his travelling acrobat dad and mom earlier than shifting to Las Vegas.
That’s the place he is lived since he was about one years previous.
“My mother put me in swimming at a younger age. I used to be like 4 years previous. I simply went from there,” Kharun stated.
Unexpected flip
He’s been a long-time member of the Sandpipers program in Nevada and fewer than a 12 months in the past was on the trail to compete for the United States on the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii final August.
But this is the factor — Kharun had a Canadian passport and never an American passport. His swimming path took an sudden flip in a rush.
“It occurred actually fast. I used to be like, alright, I’m a Canadian now,” he stated.
America’s loss has been Canada’s acquire and Kharun says he is feeling proper the place he belongs sporting the maple leaf.
“The guys have been actually welcoming. They actually needed me on the workforce. I really feel proper at dwelling,” he stated.
This week on the nationwide swim trials Kharun has been as soon as once more turning heads on the pool. On Friday evening he practically broke his nationwide file within the 200-metre fly. Earlier within the week he posted a personal-best time within the 100m fly. He’ll be representing Canada at worlds in Fukuoka, Japan this summer season.
Kharun says Canadian swimming followers ought to be enthusiastic about what he’ll do within the pool.
“Hopefully they’ll anticipate quite a bit from me,” he stated, smiling.
What a swim from Ilya Kharun 👏🇨🇦<br><br>The 18-year-old wins the 200m butterfly nationwide title and practically breaks his personal Canadian file with a time of 1:54.74 <a href=”https://t.co/tSlDJccekl”>pic.twitter.com/tSlDJccekl</a>
—@CBCOlympics
At the quick course worlds in Melbourne final December, the younger swimming phenom completed with three Canadian data, two world junior data and two medals.
Long-time Canadian swimming commentator Bryon MacDonald, who swam for Canada on the 1972 Olympics, says Kharun is on a meteoric trajectory.
“His enchancment arc has been so dramatic that you simply normally do not stage off while you’re on an arc like that,” MacDonald stated.
“He’s so younger. He’s going to get stronger. He’s going to maneuver right into a senior’s males’s program the place he’ll get challenged day in and day trip.”
WATCH | Kharun units world junior, Canadian data in 100m fly at quick course worlds:
Canada’s Ilya Kharun units world junior and Canadian file with quick course worlds silver
The Montreal-born teen clocked in at 49.03 to set a brand new Canadian and world junior file within the males’s 100-metre butterfly occasion on the FINA world swimming championships (25) in Melbourne.
Kharun is in his remaining 12 months of highschool. He’s dedicated to the University of Arizona and can be coached by legendary Bob Bowman, who famously helped Michael Phelps to 23 Olympic gold medals.
MacDonald says Kharun’s progress can be significantly helped by being a part of Bowman’s Arizona program, which in flip will assist Canada’s swimming program.
“It helps Canada tremendously as a result of he’ll not solely do one thing great within the 200m butterfly however now what occurs it frees up Josh Liendo to swim the freestyle within the medley relay. And this younger man can do the butterfly,” MacDonald stated.
“When he swims, it appears so easy. He has the sort of stroke, added power, he’ll go quicker. And that is nonetheless a younger man, there’s much more there.”
WATCH | Ilya Kharun a reputation to observe at Canadian swimming trials: 
The new identify you have to know earlier than the Canadian Swimming Trials
Montreal’s Ilya Kharun has been making waves wherever he goes since becoming a member of the Canadian workforce on the finish of final 12 months.
