Canadian swimmer Ilya Kharun clinched his second consecutive gold medal at the World Cup finale in Toronto by triumphing in the men’s 50-meter butterfly final on Saturday. Kharun from Montreal, who had already secured a victory in the 200m butterfly on Friday, finished with a time of 21.80 seconds, narrowly beating Switzerland’s Noe Ponti, the holder of the short-course world record, by just one one-hundredth of a second. Toronto’s Josh Liendo claimed the bronze medal with a personal best time of 21.91.
Expressing his joy, Kharun stated, “It means a whole lot. You know, I knew it was going to be very close and I’m just so happy I got it done. I’m just speechless. I saw Ponti’s splashes on the second 25, and I knew it was going to come down to me or him, and I was just hoping that I got it. And you know what, I did.”
Kharun, aged 20, earned $10,000 US for his victory in the 50m butterfly at all three World Cup events, a feat he also achieved in the 200m fly. In total, he contributed 12 podium finishes out of Canada’s 25 and secured seven out of the country’s 10 wins on the World Cup tour, which included stops in Carmel, Ind., and Westmont, Ill., earlier in the month. His impressive performance placed him fifth in the Toronto men’s standings and fourth in the overall men’s rankings, boosting his earnings to $54,500.
Initially claiming bronze in the 50m freestyle on Thursday, Kharun then followed up with a silver medal in the 100m butterfly, where Liendo emerged victorious later that day. The competition between Kharun and Liendo, both national team members, at the Pan Am Sports Centre, dubbed “Canada’s fastest pool,” was a highlight for the swimmers and their fans.
Liendo, who secured three gold medals in Toronto, finished ninth overall and earned $25,000 in prize money. The 23-year-old set a new world record in the 100m butterfly with a time of 47.68, a remarkable achievement following his silver medal win in the same event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Reflecting on their friendly rivalry, Liendo shared, “It was awesome. It was good to be up there with him in the 50 because he’s been a tank in the 50s. I’m getting a little bit closer to him, and good to see him get his hand on that wall.”
The event witnessed several world records being broken, with Australia’s Lani Pallister notably setting a new record in the women’s 800m freestyle, surpassing Katie Ledecky’s previous mark. Pallister’s dominant performance, clocking in at 7:54, secured her victory ahead of the competition.
Other notable world-record swims included Australia’s Kaylee McKeown in the women’s 200m backstroke, American Kate Douglass in the women’s 100m freestyle, Hungary’s Hubert Kos in the men’s 100m backstroke, and the Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau in the men’s 200m breaststroke. Several Canadian swimmers also showcased remarkable performances, with some narrowly missing the podium in various events.