PARIS (Reuters) – When two Ukrainian acrobats from the Cirque du Soleil raised their son in Las Vegas, little did they know he would one day win an Olympic medal for Canada.
But that is exactly what Ilya Kharun did on Wednesday night at La Defense Arena in Paris, seizing his moment to win the bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly.
Kharun’s was Canada’s third medal in the pool, where his former Arizona State University Sundevils teammate Leon Marchand claimed a historic double.
Although Kharun was setting age group records in the U.S., he held a Canadian passport having been born in Montreal and the 19-year-old said it was his “hard work and determination” that got him on the podium in Paris.
“It means a lot. I’m really happy that I got to this moment and I can’t wait to keep showing people what I can do. I know there’s more to work on but I’m very happy that I got the bronze,” Kharun told reporters.
“I knew my goal from the very beginning and that’s all that’s been driving me — the podium. That’s the advice I give to everyone: to know what your goals are and to keep striving forward.”
Kharun explained how his parents were on a travelling circus that visited several countries and they happened to be stationed in Montreal when he was born, with the two acrobats quickly introducing him to sport.
“My dad was in a duo or a trio, they hold people up. My mom was also part of that, but she was on the top because she was lighter,” he added.
“They tried to put me in sport, but it was too expensive in Las Vegas. So they tried different sports and I just ended up with swimming.”
In May, Kharun said he was “coming for” Marchand but in the end it was the Frenchman who set an Olympic record and beat him by 1.59 seconds.
“I knew he’s working a lot and he’s so talented,” he said. “But I’m still young, we’ll definitely get it next time.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Paris; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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