Kharun claims triple crown in World Cup pool - Medicine Hat News

TORONTO -- For the second straight night, Ilya Kharun and Josh Liendo stole the show for the host nation at the three-day World Aquatics Swimming World Cup, which concludes Saturday at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. Kharun won the men's 200-metre butterfly in 1:49.71 to become the first Canadian in history to capture a World Cup triple crown. The 20-year-old from Montreal had previously triumphed in the event in each of the first two legs of the three-stop series, staged earlier this month in Carmel, Ind., and Westmont, Ill. The hat-trick is worth US$10,000 in prize money. For his part, Toronto's Liendo followed his two wins from opening night -- including a short-course world record in the 100 fly -- with a victory and a Canadian mark in the men's 100 freestyle. His time of 45.30 bettered Brent Hayden's national standard of 45.56 which had stood since 2009. With his 200 fly win, Kharun upped his 2025 World Cup podium count to 11, including six first-place finishes. He will be going for another triple crown on Saturday in the 50 fly. Italy's Alberto Razzetti (1:51.63) and Mitchell Schott of the United States (1:52.10) took second and third in the 200, while 17-year-old Anton Semenyuk of Natation Gatineau was sixth in a personal best 1:55.29. "I thought I did very well," said Kharun, the reigning Olympic bronze medallist and world short-course champion in the 200 fly. "I took it smooth and kept it smooth the entire way. I thought maybe I could go a bit quicker but it's all right. I've been tired from all the races. (In the last 25 metres) I was thinking just get my hand on the wall. I wanted to win, and I got it done. "The crowd really pushes us and I'm just happy to be here. It's a great opportunity we have (to compete in Toronto)," he said. "It's very nice." In the men's 100 free, Liendo edged Americans Jack Alexy (45.55) and Chris Guiliano (45.71). Torontonian Ruslan Gaziev finished fifth in 46.47, a personal best. For the second consecutive evening, Liendo earned USD 2,500 for playing