Ilya Kharun Qualifies for Olympics in 200 Fly, Takes Aim at Leon Marchand (Day 5 Qualifiers)

2024 CANADIAN OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC TRIALS

Ilya Kharun blasted the third-fastest 200 butterfly in the world this season at 1:54.41, punching his ticket to his first Olympics this summer. After his Canadian Trials victory, the confident 19-year-old NCAA champion set his target for Paris.

“I’m going for top 3 — and more,” Kharun told CBC reporter Devon Heroux. “To beat Leon Marchand. I’m coming.”

Kharun’s winning time on Friday night was within a second of his Canadian record of 1:53.82 from last summer, when he tied for 4th place at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. He reached the wall more than a second under the Olympic qualifying time of 155.78 and more than four seconds ahead of runner-up finisher Kevin Zhang (1:59.14).

Kharun would have won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 with his time on Friday evening. He ranks 3rd in the world this season behind Tomoru Honda (1:53.15) and Genki Terakado (1:54.07). The dual citizen is coming off a successful freshman campaign at Arizona State, where he and Marchand led the Sun Devils to their first-ever national title in March.

Kharun was one of four Canadians who booked their spots swimming individual events in Paris on Friday night. Blake Tierney won the 200 backstroke with a Canadian record of 1:56.74 while both Sydney Pickrem (2:23.79) and Kelsey Wog (2:23.80) snuck under the Olympic ‘A’ cut (2:23.91) in the 200 breaststroke.

Canada’s most decorated Olympian, Rio 2016 champion Penny Oleksiak, missed the Olympic qualifying time by just .05 seconds en route to her 100 free victory in 53.66. However, she still punched her ticket to Paris as a member of Canada’s 4×100 free relay team along with Mary-Sophie Harvey (53.71), Brooklyn Douthwright (54.33), and Taylor Ruck (54.47).

Here’s a reminder of how selection to the 2024 Canadian Olympic team works:

CANADIAN OLYMPIC SELECTION PRIORITIES:

Note: For a full description of each priority category, click on the selection criteria link above. (Updated April 15, 2024)

• Priority One: The first and second placed swimmers in the ‘A’ final who earn the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT)
• Priority Two – Relay Nominations: The relay time add-up of the top four-placed swimmers in the 100 and 200 freestyles. For the medley relays, the relay add-up will be reached with the times of the top qualifiers from the 100 back, 100 breast, 100 fly, and 100 free. If a swimmer wins multiple 100s, then the times of second-place swimmer in those events will be considered.
• Priority Three: If no swimmer or only one swimmer at the 2024 Canadian Trials earns an OQT in an event, then a swimmer who’s achieved an OQT within the qualifying period and finished top two at Trials will be nominated.
• Priority Four: In an event that does not have any nominations through Priorities 1-3, then an event winner who has achieved on Olympic Consideration Time and swims within 1% of their fastest time in the qualification window at Trials will be provisionally nominated. World Aquatics sent out a memo that Olympic “B” cut swimmers may not qualify because of the athlete quotas. An athlete who hits a “B” cut here but who has an “A” cut from another Olympic qualifying meet in the qualification period, though, wouldn’t be subject to those World Aquatics limits.
• Priority Five: The selection committee has the discretion to nominate eligible swimmers to improve relays at the advice of the High Performance Director.

Editor’s note: Swimming Canada updated the selection criteria on April 15. The priorities below reflect the updated criteria.

PRIORITY 1 SWIMS THRU DAY 5 (OLYMPIC A CUTS, TOP 2):

PRIORITY 2 SWIMS THRU DAY 5 (FREE RELAY TOP 4S AND MEDLEY RELAY TOP 1S):

PRIORITY 3 SWIMS THRU DAY 5: (OLYMPIC “A” CUTS AT OTHER MEETS + TOP 2 AT TRIALS):

PRIORITY 4 SWIMS THRU DAY 5: (OLYMPIC “B” TIMES + EVENT WINNER – UNLIKELY TO BE INVITED):

PRIORITY 5 SWIMS THRU DAY 5 (EXTRA RELAY SWIMMERS):

SWIMMERS WITH OLYMPIC A/B CUTS WHO DIDN’T PLACE HIGH ENOUGH:

A cuts:

• Rebecca Smith – women’s 100 fly (57.89) (3rd place finisher)
• Taylor Ruck — women’s 100 backstroke (59.78) (3rd place finisher)

B cuts:

• Julie Brousseau — women’s 400 freestyle (4:08.12) (Winner under the A cut)
• Lorne Wigginton — men’s 400 IM (4:13.60) (Winner under the A cut)
• Aiden Norman — men’s 100 backstroke (53.99) (3rd place finisher)
• Kelsey Wog — women’s 100 breaststroke (1:07.00) (Winner has an A cut/chosen for relay, Wog doesn’t have an A cut in the qualifying period)
• Regan Rathwell — women’s 100 backstroke (1:00.23) (4th place finisher)