PARIS — When it comes to technique in mastering the intricacies of the butterfly stroke, Ilya Kharun comes by the flexibility and attention to detail honestly.
And Canada’s latest Olympic medallist showed some of the family flair for performing under the bright lights on Wednesday night, swimming to a bronze medal in the 200-metre butterfly.
It was a breakthrough performance at La Defense Arena for the 19-year-old Olympic rookie and for the rapidly improving Canadian men’s team. Kharun’s effort helped that group join the pool party that has been run exclusively by the women over the past three Olympics, by securing the first medal by a Canadian male swimmer since London 2012.
Racing from Lane 3 in front of an energetic crowd, Kharun was game throughout, but could not catch home country hero Leon Marchand, who set an Olympic record in winning gold. The Frenchman was the darling of the night — and perhaps the meet — after winning the 200-metre breaststroke for a two gold parlay.
But Marchand’s former teammate at Arizona State University had himself quite a night as well. Born in Montreal as the son of two members of the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil troupe, he was raised in Las Vegas where his parents performed. The dexterity in those acrobatic genes have paid off.
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And that’s just part of the high-flying back story of this Canadian by birth. His Ukrainian parents travelled the world in a circus troupe and just happened to be in Montreal at the time he was born. When they landed an opportunity with the famed Montreal-based Cirque, it was off to the bright lights of Vegas where he was raised.
The circus was never in the cards for Kharun, however, as his parents urged him to try other sports and swimming became his natural pursuit.
So just how did those acrobatic genes help in mastering the gruelling butterfly stroke? Power and poise were key, it turns out.
“They were on such a world stage,” Kharun said. “Cirque du Soleil was so great and they wanted the best for me. They knew I could do it. They passed their goals onto me. I’m just happy I could perform for them as well. I’m very happy I could perform for them.
“My Dad was very strong. I got that from him.”
Kharun also got an opportunity to excel at his chosen sport when recruited to Arizona State by legendary American coach Bob Bowman, the man behind the greatest of them all, Michael Phelps. When Bowman left for Texas, new coach Herbie Baum kept up the progression that helped land him here.
“He has this mobility in a lot of places that most people don’t,” his college coach Baum told ASU news recently. “Like the way he moves his spine and just the control he has that allows him to kick underwater really well. In the butterfly, when he gets tired he can keep his legs up where must people have to kick to get them back up.”
Kharun is certainly an emerging talent in the 200 fly, finishing fourth in the world championships last year and the NCAA title in 2024. In Tuesday’s semifinal, he rocketed from fifth with 50 metres remaining to second at the wall. That spirited race gave him the confidence to race all out the next night.
The medal was Team Canada’s third in the pool here so far these Games. Teenage star Summer McIntosh captured gold in the 400-metre medley and silver in the 400 freestyle earlier in the meet. There had been hopes that the men would contribute to the medal count after significant gains had been made in the previous three years. Kharun’s breakthrough will no doubt boost the confidence of teammates such as Josh Liendo, who is also expected to contend for a medal.
“The Canadian men I feel they are hopefully more motivated,” Kharun said of that prospect. “I feel we’re definitely going to have an uprise and everything is going to be great.
“It’s such a great honour. I’m really happy I can represent Canada. I’m so happy that I can bring my team another medal.”
They can certainly glean something from the drive their teammate shows. He came to Paris determined to beat his college teammate and French hero, Marchand. That didn’t happen this time, but the new Canadian medallist believes it’s just a matter of time.
“That is my goal,” Kharun said. “I’m still young. I’ll get him next time. We’re good. I’m still young. I’ll get him next time. We’re good friends. We’re enemies in the pool but outside of it we’re cool. He’s a really good guy.
“Before the medals he told me he was so proud of me. It’s so great I can call him my team and my teammate.”
In other action on Thursday, McIntosh continued her drive for multiple medals with a dominant first-place effort to easily win her 200-metre butterfly semifinal. Easily the fastest of the qualifiers that sets up a shot for another gold medal on Friday night.
“The first four days of the whole event schedule has been really nice,” McIntosh said of having off days on Sunday and Tuesday following her medal efforts in 400-metre events. “If I was going to write this schedule I’d write it exactly like it is.”