Chad Le Clos ready for date with destiny

07 August 2016 - 02:00 By David Isaacson
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Chad Le Clos
Chad Le Clos
Image: Francois Nel/Getty Images

South Africa’s hero says he is in the shape of his life and more confident than he was even two months ago

Chad Le Clos is ready to become South Africa's greatest Olympian.

The swimmer, who dives into action in the 200m freestyle this afternoon, looked relaxed and spoke with confidence in an interview with the Sunday Times before an evening training session this week.

Le Clos has already proven himself as a world-class performer, but the 2016 showpiece is about establishing a legacy.

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He is set to compete in five events - three individual races and two relays - over the next week and he believes all have medal potential.

As a 20-year-old at London 2012, Le Clos famously downed Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly and then took silver behind the American legend in the 100m race.

Now 24, Le Clos is on the verge of winning more Olympic medals than any other South African.

The record stands at three gongs, shared by just four of his compatriots - swimmers Roland Schoeman and Penny Heyns achieved it in the post-isolation era while athlete Bevil Rudd and tennis player Charles Winslow did it in 1920.

"That's what I've been saying the past few years, if I can get another two golds," Le Clos replied when asked if he was ready for the mantle of the country's most decorated Olympian.

"I'm just focused on doing the best I can. I feel I am in the best shape I've ever been in so there's no reason why not."

In late May he admitted in an interview that he was missing 25m of his 200m butterfly race.

But he has since filled that gap in the past two months of hard training abroad. "I was missing those 25m, I feel that it's there. I feel I've got those 25m. Finally .

"I feel much more confident now than even a couple of months ago."

Le Clos left the country just days after his mother Geraldine had undergone a double mastectomy following the return of the breast cancer she had beaten a few years previously.

block_quotes_start He is a racer with the courage of a boxer and the cunning of a chess master when it comes to executing strategy in the water block_quotes_end

And his father Bert underwent surgery for prostate cancer the following month.

"It's probably been the most difficult two months ever, but at the same time the best training I've ever done," said Le Clos.

"I've never trained like this before . We've done everything exactly how we're supposed to have done it."

His parents, both in good spirits, flew to Rio this week accompanied by younger brother Jordan, and they linked up with Chad at the athletes' village for the first time on Wednesday.

"I'm happy to see them, I haven't seen them for so long," said the swimmer.

In the build-up to London 2012, Le Clos spoke cautiously about his medal prospects, saying back then he only had a chance of a minor placing in the 200m 'fly.

But all the time he had his eyes on the gold.

Many people, including the bookies, are writing him off in the 200m freestyle, and not without reason - he has yet to scoop a medal at a major gala in an Olympic-sized pool.

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But Le Clos can't be discounted. He is a racer with the courage of a boxer and the cunning of a chess master when it comes to executing strategy in the water.

And most importantly he is giving himself a fair shot at glory in this event (the final is tomorrow night; the session starts at 3am on Tuesday SA time).

"I've got a good chance in the freestyle," he stated.

"It'll be hard to win [but] if I'm in the race - if I don't back off that second, third 50m - it's a real race, the last 50m.

"I'm rather going to die in the last 50m than try to come back. I'm going to go at them hard."

If he and training partner Myles Brown can fire in the 200m freestyle, they will boost the chances of the 4x200m freestyle relay team, which competes on Tuesday.

"We have a good 4x200 relay as well, we have a good team . we've been giving it some good sets.

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"We [Myles and I] have to post 1min 45sec. If we can both do that then we are confident that the other two can go 1:47. If you add them up it's for sure top five, or top three.

"That's our target, top three. We're excited about that," said Le Clos, whose other relay is the 4x100m medley at the end of the gala.

But the legacy that he is seeking is in the two butterfly races, especially the 200m where he hopes to join Phelps as the only man in history to defend that crown.

"I'm more happy with my 200m fly than anything. I've always said that's the most important thing to me."

His biggest rivals here are Phelps and the 200m butterfly world champion Laszlo Cseh.

Le Clos, the two-time 100m fly world champion, is out to bag the butterfly double in Rio, a feat achieved by only three men, including Phelps and Mark Spitz, the two greatest swimmers of all time.

Le Clos is closing in on history.

sports@timesmedia.co.za

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