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Olympic Medalist Ilya Kharun Joins Team USA for 2026

1/27/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Ilya Kharun, a two-time Canadian Olympic medalist, switches allegiance from Team Canada to Team USA for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina after being released from Swimming Canada.
Kharun was born in Montreal and raised in Las Vegas.
He said he always felt like an American.
He won two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Games.
Swimming Canada's high-performance director expressed disappointment and wished him well.

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Story summary

Ilya Kharun, a two-time Canadian Olympic medalist, switches allegiance from Team Canada to Team USA for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina after being released from Swimming Canada.
Kharun was born in Montreal and raised in Las Vegas.
He said he always felt like an American.
He won two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Games.
Swimming Canada's high-performance director expressed disappointment and wished him well.