Liendo, Kharun produce historic swim double podium

PARIS – Joshua Liendo and Ilya Kharun talked nan infinitesimal into being.

They produced nan first double podium by Canadian men successful Olympic swimming pinch metallic and bronze successful nan men’s 100-metre butterfly Saturday successful Paris.

“Me and Josh a mates days agone said astir really crazy it would beryllium if maine and him some sewage connected nan podium,” Kharun said. “I’m truthful gladsome we said it into existence.”

Hungary’s Kristof Milak took golden successful 49.90 seconds up of Toronto’s Liendo successful 49.99 and Kharun successful 50.45.

The 21-year-old Liendo became nan first Canadian Black swimmer to declare an Olympic aquatics medal.

“It’s a immense milestone and it’s thing that I don’t return lightly,” Liendo said. “Definitely a batch of pridefulness to get that.”

A batch of Canadian athletics history was made astatine La Defense Arena connected Saturday night.

Teammate Summer McIntosh captured her 3rd golden badge to go nan first Canadian triple golden medallist successful Olympic history, but she was pleased for her antheral counterparts.

“I was super-pumped to spot 2 Canadian men connected nan podium,” McIntosh said. “They’re conscionable getting started. They’re some specified difficult workers and specified awesome individuals.”

The aquatics team’s 8 medals successful Paris pinch nan medley relays to spell Sunday matched nan erstwhile precocious astatine a non-boycotted Summer Games group by nan big squad successful 1976 successful Montreal.

Canadian swimmers won 10 medals successful nan boycotted Games successful Los Angeles successful 1984.

The women person driven nan aquatics team’s occurrence precocious by winning each six medals successful 2016 successful Rio and different half-dozen successful Tokyo 3 years ago.

Kharun’s 2nd bronze badge — he was besides 3rd successful nan 200-metre butterfly — and Liendo’s metallic successful Paris marked a resurgence connected nan men’s side.

“That’s a immense momentum displacement connected nan men’s,” Liendo said. “That’s a large connection there.”

Liendo, who swims collegiately for nan University of Florida Gators, and Arizona State’s Kharun are roommates successful Paris.

“I’m going to propulsion Ilya nether nan bus. He talks successful his slumber a lot,” Liendo said. “He’s a funny dude.”

Kharun was calved successful Montreal to Ukrainian parents who were circus acrobats. He was raised successful Las Vegas wherever they worked successful Cirque du Soleil shows.

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Liendo was calved successful Toronto, but spent nan first 9 years of his life successful Trinidad earlier returning to nan city.

Liendo’s metallic was Canada’s champion consequence successful nan 100 alert since Bruce Robertson’s metallic successful 1972 successful Munich.

Kharun was nan first Canadian man to triumph aggregate aquatics medals since Curtis Myden successful 1996.

He was seventh astatine nan move Saturday, but charged into podium position.

World-record holder and Tokyo champion Caeleb Dressel of nan United States didn’t suffice for nan final.

Maxime Grousset, nan 2023 world champion who had pulled retired of nan men’s 50-metre freestyle nan erstwhile evening to prevention himself for nan 100 fly, placed fifth.

Liendo was 4th successful nan men’s 50-metre freestyle, conscionable two-hundredths of a 2nd retired of a medal.

“I conscionable wanted to usage that arsenic substance for nan 100 alert and I sewage nan occupation done,” Liendo said.

Kharun says erstwhile he took his bronze badge from nan 200 alert earlier successful nan week backmost to nan athletes’ village, nan different men connected Canada’s aquatics squad wanted to spot it.

“I deliberation it was motivating,” he said.

This study by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2024.