Ilya Kharun Sets New U.S. Open Record With 48.45 100 Butterfly

2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials

In the men’s 100 butterfly final, Ilya Kharun, who recently became eligible to represent the United States internationally, set a new U.S. Open record time of 48.45 to earn a spot on the SC World Championships team for the United States.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – Final

Final:

1. Ilya Kharun (SUN) — 48.45 *New U.S. Open Record
2. Tyler Ray (TXLA) — 48.56
3. Caeleb Dressel (SJAC)/Luca Urlando (DART) — 48.57
4. (tie)
5. Dare Rose (SCAR) — 49.61
6. Logan Robinson (GPAC) — 50.08
7. Kamal Muhammad (SPAC) — 51.28
8. Narutaka Hotta (BA) — 52.21

Kharun stopped the clock in 48.45, coming in just two hundredths faster than the former U.S. Open record of 48.47 set by Tyler Ray this morning and Noe Ponti last October. Kharun, Ray, and Ponti’s swims were all done in this pool.

He jumped out to the lead early, splitting 22.68 on the opening 50 to sit just two hundredths ahead of Luca Urlando‘s 22.70 in 2nd place.

Kharun came home in 25.77, the fastest closing split in the field to take down the U.S. Open record and finish about a tenth ahead of Ray, who swam 25.85 on the 2nd 50.

This swim was just a tenth off his lifetime best of 48.35 from October of last year at the Toronto stop of the World Cup Tour.

Split Comparison

This swim will earn Kharun a spot on the U.S. roster for the 2026 SC World Championships, his first U.S. team since changing his sporting nationality from Canada. Kharun qualified to represent the United States at the 2022 Jr. Pan Pacific Championships before it was discovered that he was not an American citizen.

He will move up to #1 in the world this year, overtaking Ray’s prelims swim.