ASU swimming to be well represented at Paris 2024 Olympics, 7 current or former Sun Devils will compete

With the Paris 2024 Olympics set to get underway in swimming, there are several current or former ASU Sun Devils who will compete for their respective countries on the biggest stage in sports.

Sophomore Ilya Kharun (Canada), senior Tiago Behar (Switzerland) and incoming freshman Tolu Young (Fiji) are all currently with Arizona State, superstar Léon Marchand (France) recently turned pro after last season, Max McCusker (Ireland) graduated from ASU in 2023 after a five-year collegiate career, and both Zalan Sarkany and Hubert Kós (Hungary) transferred. Kós followed former head coach Bob Bowman to Texas while Sarkany is heading to Indiana.

Representing Canada, Kharun qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics on May 17 after winning the 200m fly with the second-fastest time globally, 1:54.41. On May 19, he also qualified for the 100m fly by recording a time of 51.66. Since joining the Sun Devils, he is a two-time NCAA Champion, winning in 400 medley relay and 200 fly as Arizona State went on to claim their first NCAA Championship in program history this past season. Kharun is also a six-time Pac-12 Champion in the 100 fly, 200 fly 400 medley relay, 400 free relay, 200 free relay and 200 medley relay.

Behar will compete in the 4x200m freestyle relay after he swam in the Long Course Swiss Championship where he recorded a time of 1:50.49 and finished second in the 200m freestyle prelims. With the Sun Devils, Behar quickly became an important member of the team as the Sun Devils won back-to-back Pac-12 conference championships and the program’s first NCAA title.

A 2024 Sun Devils commit in Young will be in Paris off of a time of 22.87 in the 50m free during the 2023 World Aquatic Championships. From Washington, he has won multiple state championships before the upcoming opportunities with Fiji in the Olympics and the Sun Devils when he begins his freshman year of college this fall.

As a standout for ASU, Marchand won eight NCAA individual titles and is arguably one of the most decorated swimmers that ASU has ever had. He was a 10-time NCAA champion, 17-time Pac-12 champ and 21-time CSCAA All-American in his three seasons in Tempe (2022-24). The Frenchman holds school records in the 100 free, 500 free, 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM and 400 IM as well as NCAA records in the 200 IM, 200 breast, 500 free, 400 free relay and 400 medley relay.

Breaking a national record of 51.90 at the 2024 Irish Olympic Trials in the 100 fly, McCusker qualified for the Olympics after a first-place finish in late May. After a four-year career at Florida State, he decided to use his fifth year of eligibility and switched to ASU for the 2022-23 season. ASU placed second at the NCAA Championships and he was on the 200y medley relay team two years ago.

While Sarkany and Kós are no longer at ASU, their accomplishments and star-studded performances for the Sun Devils should not go unnoticed. Sarkany won the 1650 free at the 2024 NCAA Championships and at back-to-back Pac-12 Championships, and six 1000 free competitions during his two years (2022-23) as a Sun Devil. For Kós, he was victorious in the 200 IM, 100 back, 400 medley relay and 200 back at the 2024 Pac-12 Championships. Both of these Hungarians are going to compete for their country in the Olympics.