Ilya Kharun Clocks Lifetime Best in 100 Fly to Beat Josh Liendo at Mel Zajac Jr. Meet

59TH ANNUAL MEL ZAJAC JR. INTERNATIONAL SWIM MEET

• June 21-23, 2024
• UBC Aquatic Centre
  • Vancouver, Canada
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Preview
• Live Results
• Day 1 Recap

A trio of Canadian Olympic medal hopefuls had their final 100 butterfly tune-ups before Paris next month at the 59th annual Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet on Saturday.

Rising Arizona State sophomore Ilya Kharun fired off a personal-best 51.02 to outduel Josh Liendo (51.25) by a couple tenths in the 100 fly. Kharun shaved .07 seconds off his previous-best 51.09 from his runner-up finish at last month’s Canadian Olympic Trials, where Liendo blasted a world-leading time of 50.06 for the win. At the 2024 NCAA Championships in March, Kharun placed 5th in the SCY 100 fly behind national champion Liendo.

Kharun and Liendo both returned to the pool at the end of the session for the men’s 50 free. Liendo took 2nd place in 22.51 behind Gregory Lichinsky (22.46) while Kharun placed 5th in 22.87.

In the women’s 100 fly, defending Olympic champion Maggie MacNeil cruised to victory in 56.83, within a few tenths of her season-best 56.54 from Canadian Olympic Trials last month that ranks 7th in the world this season. Next month, she’s aiming to become the first woman ever to repeat in the event.

Reigning 200 IM world champion Finlay Knox checked in at 1:59.58 for 1st place. He ranks 6th in the world this season with his personal-best 1:56.07 from last month’s Canadian Olympic Trials.

After taking more than two seconds off her own Irish record in the women’s 200 breast prelims with a 2:22.49 to move up to 7th in the world this season, Mona McSharry was slightly slower in the final en route to the win in 2:22.68.

Ilia Sibirtsev couldn’t quite add the 400 freestyle to his Olympic lineup after qualifying in the 800 free on Friday night. The Russian-turned-Uzbekistani distance specialist triumphed in 3:49.02, just off his personal-best 3:48.57 from last month. Sibirtsev was still a couple seconds off the Olympic ‘A’ cut of 3:46.78.

In the men’s 50 backstroke, soon-to-be three-time Olympian Javier Acevedo (25.41) held off Knox (25.81) and Blake Tierney (25.94) for the victory.

Ashley McMillan picked up the women’s 200 IM win in 2:12.51, about a second off her personal-best 2:11.00 that placed her 4th at Canadian Olympic Trials last month.

Mexican record holder Miguel de Lara reached the wall first in the men’s 200 breast at 2:12.50. He’s headed to his first Olympics next month at 29 years old courtesy of his personal-best 2:09.60 from last April, just under the Olympic ‘A’ cut of 2:09.68.

Kayla Sanchez eked past Taylor Ruck (25.30) by just a couple hundredths for the women’s 50 free crown in 25.28.