2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials
MEN’S 50 FLY– PRELIMS
- World Record: 21.28, Egor Kornev (RUS) – 2026
- American Record: 21.99, Tom Shields – 2021
- U.S. Open Record: 21.69, Ilya Kharun (CAN) – 2025
- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 22.43
Finalists:
- Ilya Kharun (UN-AZ) – 21.61 *American Record, U.S Open Record*
- Tyler Ray (TXLA) – 21.75
- Van Mathias (ISC) – 22.17
- Caeleb Dressel (SJAC) – 22.19
- Dare Rose (SCAR) – 22.33
- Finn Brooks (ISC) – 22.43
- Brendan Whitfield (VT) – 22.64
- Matt King (ISC)– 22.82
Ilya Kharun swam to a new American Record on Saturday in prelims of the 50 butterfly as he touched in a 21.61. That broke the previous American record of a 21.00 set by Tom Shields back in 2021 at the World Cup stop in Budapest. Kharun also broke his own U.S. Open Record of a 21.69 that he swam a year ago at the World Cup stop in Westmont.
Kharun entered the day with a lifetime best 21.67 in the event which he swam in December 2024 to win silver at the 2024 SCM World Championships.
His time today now moves him up to become the #3 performer all-time in the event as he passes Nyls Korstanje of the Netherlands.
- Egor Kornev, 21.28 (2026)
- Noe Ponti, 21.32 (2024)
- Ilya Kharun, 21.61 (2026)
- Nyls Korstanje, 21.62 (2024)
- Szebasztian Szabo, 21.75 (2021)
Kharun has already punched his ticket to represent the U.S. at the 2026 SCM World Championships that will take place in December in Beijing. This will be his first time representing the U.S. at the international level as he has previously represented Canada. He previously was expected to swim for the U.S. at 2022 Junior Pan Pacs before he was removed from the team after it was discovered he was not an American citizen.
