Olympic medallist Ilya Kharun announces switch from Canada to the US, citing personal ties and long-term career goals in American swimming.
Ilya Kharun, two-time Olympic medallist, announces he will switch his international swimming representation from Canada to the United States (Photo: X)
Olympic medalist Ilya Kharun posted on Instagram that he is changing his international affiliation from Canada to the United States. At the age of 20, the butterfly specialist emphasized that he has strong ties with the US, the country where he spent his youth growing up and developing his swimming skills. Swimming Canada has confirmed the change, wishing him the best of luck and acknowledging the important role he played for the Canadian team while representing the Maple Leaf.
A 20 year old Olympic medallist swimmer, born in Montreal and won bronze in the 100m, 200m butterfly at Paris 2024 and now represents the United States.
Kharun decided to represent Canada mainly due to his dual citizenship and he pledged his loyalty to the nation in 2022 and quickly made his presence felt as he won bronze in both the 100m and 200m butterfly events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, making him the first Canadian man to win two swimming medals at the same Olympic Games since 1996. He won gold in the 200 butterfly event at the 2024 World Short-Course Championships in Budapest and won bronze at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
Kharun described his reason for the change as a result of who he is and where his swimming career may lead. “I’ve always felt like an American,” he said, “and I wanted to stay connected at home while I have a long international swimming career.” He was raised in Las Vegas and has trained with only American teams.
Kharun’s presence brings a lot of depth to the USA butterfly swimmers immediately. Looking ahead to 2025, the USA records for the butterfly events were 23.02 for the 50 fly, 50.24 for the 100 fly, and 1:51.87 for the 200 fly. With Kharun’s personal records of 22.68 for the 50 fly, 50.07 for the 100 fly, and 1:52.80 for the 200 fly, he is sure to be one of the major competition threats and will create intense competition within Team USA as they try to finalize their roster.
Swimming Canada respected Kharun’s decision, appreciating the impact he has made and the legacy he has left. High Performance Director John Atkinson said, “What he has done as a member of our national team is part of our history. We wish him all the best, and he is a friend of our national team.” The organization made it clear that Kharun’s history-making achievements cannot be undone.
Based on data available as of 2025, Canadian swimmer Ilya Kharun has earned over USD 54,500 from the Swimming World Cup series, in addition to a bonus of triple crown”of USD 10,000, thus establishing his elite status in the sport.
Under the training of coach Herbie Behm at Arizona State University, Kharun will continue to compete at the highest level. Kharun’s joining Team USA brings interesting possibilities for future World Championships and Olympic Games, as it strengthens the U.S. team and illustrates how the representation of a nation can change in international sports.
