TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State University swimmer Ilya Kharun is headed to Paris to compete in the 2024 Olympics.
The Montreal-born athlete has qualified to compete for Team Canada at the summer games, marking his first appearance at the Olympics, according to Swimming Canada.
"Representing my country at the Olympics is a privilege and a responsibility I don’t take lightly," Kharun wrote in an Instagram post. "I am committed to giving my all, both in and out of the water, as I proudly wear the maple leaf on the world stage."
Kharun, 19, has been attracting attention in the swimming world after he broke the Canadian record in the men’s 200m butterfly twice during the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, according to Team Canada.
At the end of his freshman year, Kahrun won two gold medals at the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Men's Swimming Championships, where Arizona State beat out California to win the competition.
Kharun, who's majoring in sports business at ASU, is the son of Cirque du Soleil acrobats, so his family spent years traveling the world before settling in Las Vegas.
"My mom put me in swimming at a young age. I was like four years old. I just went from there," Kharun told CBC News in 2023.
More of Kharun's swimming achievements and statistics can be found here.
The 2024 Summer Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11.
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