Following Strong NCAA Performance, Ilya Kharun Aiming for Nationals Prior to Official U.S. Debut
Camaraderie built the foundation of the Arizona State sprint group that swept all four relays at the recent NCAA Men’s Championships. Prior to their swims, Sun Devils veterans Jonny Kulow and Andy Dobrzanski plus graduate transfers Adam Chaney and Remi Fabiani would hype each other up, but one swimmer had his own routine.
“You leave Ilya alone because he’ll always do his thing,” Kulow said.
Indeed, Ilya Kharun came through in each of his swims at NCAAs. His 18.70 butterfly split was best in the field as he propelled the Sun Devils to a win in the 200 medley relay. After that, Kharun became the fourth man ever under 43 on the way to to a third-place finish in the 100 fly. Another race-best mark of 17.76 gave ASU a lead it would not relinquish in the 200 freestyle relay.
Day three brought a lifetime best of 18.24 for third in the 50 free and then a sizzling 42.63 100 fly relay split for the 400 medley relay, and Kharun wrapped up the meet with his lone individual win in the 200 fly, coming up just short of his best time. He handled leadoff duties for his team’s dominant 400 free relay, and the team finished with a strong fourth place in the team standings.
Ilya Kharum — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
The 21-year-old will return to run it back next season, although the team around him will look vastly different with Kulow, Dobrzanski, Chaney and Fabiani all out of college eligibility. In the meantime, Kharun is looking ahead to a unique summer season where he will be locked out of international racing. In January, he announced he would be switching his sporting citizenship from Canada to the United States, and he is now in the midst of a one-year waiting period before he can qualify to represent the Stars and Stripes.
Not a bad year to be away since there is no global-level long course international competition, and the unique circumstances will not stop Kharun from seeking strong long course performances, albeit in less-consequential moments. As he returns to training, Kharun will be focused on top performances at U.S. Nationals, set to take place July 28-August 1 in Irvine, Calif.
“Of course I’m not going to be at (Commonwealth Games) or at Pan Pacs, but I will be at Nationals,” Kharun said. “I’m really excited to be representing a new country and be with a new group of guys. Just because I switched countries doesn’t mean I’m going to let myself go. I know everyone’s going to be upping their standards, and I’m going to be there to compete.”
Without one major meet in 2026, swimmers will stake their claim as best in the world based on their performances at their respective focus meets, including the two meets Kharun opted out of when he departed Swimming Canada plus the European Championships and Asian Games. With Kharun eligible to represent the United States in time for the 2027 World Championships, his butterfly rivals will be eagerly anticipating the marks Kharun can manage this summer.
Kharun won Olympic bronze medals in the 100 and 200 fly in Paris, and even a relatively tough meet at the 2025 World Championships finished with a bronze medal in the 100 fly. Moving forward with the U.S., Kharun hopes to team up with reigning world champion Luca Urlando to create an elite 1-2 combination in the 200 fly, and his 100 fly form is already best among Americans, set to provide key support for the U.S. men’s 400 medley relay in the coming years.