Ilya Kharun helps Canada win 2 silver medals at world short course championships
Kharun sets Canadian record in 50m butterfly; Wilm earns women's backstroke bronze
Ilya Kharun set another Canadian swimming record, lowering his mark with a 21.67-second clocking in the men's 50-metre butterfly at the world short course championships on Wednesday in Budapest, Hungary.
Kharun, whose previous best was 22.28 from this event two years ago in Melbourne, was sixth through 25 metres before touching the wall second.
"That was a much stronger swim than what we saw in the semifinals [when Kharun went 21.93]. He stayed low to the water [and] powerful and that makes me excited about his 100 and 200 fly," said CBC Sports analyst Brittany MacLean.
A two-time Olympic medallist, the 19-year-old from Montreal is also the 200m national record holder in long course (50m pool compared to 25m) with a time of 1:52.80.
In August, Kharun was a bronze medallist in the 100 and 200 fly in his Paris Olympic debut and fifth in the 100m medley relay.
Noe Ponti of Switzerland took Wednesday's race in a world record 21.32 early six weeks after going 21.50 in Singapore.
Nyls Korstanje of the Netherlands grabbed bronze (21.68).
About 30 minutes later, Kharun joined Ingrid Wilm, Kylie Masse and Finlay Knox to make it seven medals for Canada in two days (four on Tuesday) with silver in the mixed 4x50 medley relay. Their time of 1:35.95 is a national record and trailed only the Russian entry of Neutral Athletes B (1:35.36). The United States took bronze (1:36.20).
WATCH | Kharun moves Canada from 6th to silver medal in medley relay:
"The relay was really fun. I was so ready for that because I had the 50 to warm up before," Kharun, who delivered a 20.73 split in the relay, told Swimming Canada. "I showed everyone what I can do, dipped under that 21 mark and there's more to come, for sure."
It was Masse's 19th world medal, tying her with the retired Maggie Mac Neil for most all-time between long course and short course.
"Obviously I wouldn't be able to keep [the streak] alive without opportunities like this and teammates like this who have allowed me to get this medal and add to my streak," she said.
Earlier, Wilm picked up her first medal of the day and second consecutive bronze in the women's 100-metre backstroke at short course worlds.
The 26-year-old was third after 25 metres and remained there at the finish, posting a time of 55.75 seconds.
"It's proving to me how much having fun [helps] me a great deal when it comes to races, remaining relaxed and ready," Wilm told CBC Sports' Devin Heroux in reference to her success this week. "It's almost vindication for the work I've put in.
"Sometimes the hard work doesn't pay off. When it does, it [inspires] you to get back in the pool and try harder."
WATCH | Wilm impresses with backstroke bronze in Budapest:
"Ingrid Wilm [is] proving to be an international contender," said Rob Snoek, who called the race for CBC Sports.
Added MacLean: "For Ingrid, this [shows] she's not just a relay swimmer, an alternate, or second best."
Wilm, who won the first of two semifinals in 55.85, gained a measure of revenge against Australia's Iona Anderson, who was fourth (56.08).
WATCH | Devin Heroux and Brittany MacLean recap Day 2 of short course worlds:
Wilm earned relay bronze Tuesday
They battled for silver down the stretch at long course worlds in February, with Anderson touching the wall first in 59.12 in Doha, Qatar, 6-100ths of a second ahead of Wilm, who earned her first medal at the event.
On Tuesday, Wilm helped Canada to bronze in the women's 100m freestyle relay. The team clocked 3:28.44 and was 38-100ths shy of the national record held by Rebecca Smith, Taylor Ruck and the now-retired pair of Maggie Mac Neil and Katerine Savard.
WATCH | Wilm says race was 'never supposed to happen':
Regan Smith led a 1-2 American finish on Wednesday in a championship record 54.55, followed by Katharine Berkoff.
Masse of LaSalle, Ont., was sixth (56.21) at Duna Arena.
This past summer, she was fourth (58.29) in the 100m backstroke final at the Paris Olympics, 31-100ths shy of a medal.
Masse, 28, has medalled at each world championship and Olympics over nine years.
Tierney 'never out of mix' for medal
In the men's 100 backstroke, Saskatoon's Blake Tierney lowered the Canadian record to 49.39 in a fifth-place finish.
Javier Acevedo set the previous mark of 49.71 on Nov. 5, 2022 in Indianapolis.
"That was a goal coming in and I'm happy I got it down. Obviously a medal would have been really nice but you can't control what the field does," said Tierney, Swimming Canada's breakout swimmer of the year. "I think in terms of race execution there are some things I could have improved on."
Tierney was fourth through 25 metres but slipped to fifth and stayed there to the finish.
"I love the way he swam that race," MacLean said. "He was never out of the mix [for a medal] 6-10ths off the leaders.
"It was exactly what we asked of him. You have a chance [to medal], it's a final at a world championships, just race and do what you do best. He did that.
"He was charging the wall really strong, he had a high tempo," continued MacLean. A solid performance."
At his Olympic debut in Paris, Tierney qualified for the semifinals and placed 16th overall.
He was also a member of Canada's men's 4x100m medley relay and mixed 4x100m medley relay teams that finished fifth.
Also Wednesday, Sophie Angus was 11th in the semifinals of the women's 100m breaststroke and didn't advance to Thursday's final. She was born in Connecticut and is a dual citizen but swims internationally for Canada.
WATCH | Full replay coverage of Wednesday's event finals from Hungary:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
