The more one reflects on 2016 the more it sinks in, especially when marveling at the magnificence of Chad le Clos in the World Short-Course Swimming Championships in Montreal, writes GARY LEMKE.
The thought is, what happened to Le Clos at the 2016 Rio Olympics?
Le Clos is, quite simply, a fantastic swimmer. The use of adjectives are deliberate. He is that good and that gifted. At the Short-Course Championships he completed the butterfly treble gold (50m, 100m, 200m) and in the 100m he broke his own world record – and he can go even faster.
It was in London at the 2012 Olympics that his coach, Graham Hill, told me that Le Clos ‘could be the Tiger Woods of swimming’. He wasn’t referring to any shenanigans, but it was a statement based on his swimmer’s ability. It has to be said that this was before Le Clos shocked the world by removing Michael Phelps’ clock of invincibility in the men’s 200m butterfly.
At the time, Le Clos – despite being the Commonwealth golf medallist in the event – was a 25-1 outsider to beat Phelps and win gold. But he did just that, and for good measure picked up a silver medal in the 100m butterfly as well.
However, in the next four years, with Phelps in retirement, Le Clos might have ascended to the No1 spot in the world, but he was unable to match the 1min 52.96sec that he had in London. It’s staggering to believe that the South African was just 20 at the time he beat Phelps. And, a couple of hours after one of sport’s great shocks, the American legend went up to Le Clos, shook his hand and looked him in the eye. ‘I’ve been watching you for a year or so and I’m looking forward to watching you in the years ahead. I’m handing over the (Olympic) torch to you.’
As far as compliments go, this was up there with the best you’ll ever get.
In the ensuing years, between Olympic Games’, Le Clos continued to pile up the medals and titles. But, somewhere along the way, he – by design or default – got under Phelps’ skin and got involved in trash-talk with the ‘retired’ American.
It all came to a head in Rio when, shortly after racing to a largely surprising silver medal in the 200m freestyle, Le Clos shadow-boxed right in front of Phelps in the ready room before the 200m butterfly semi-final. The look of disgust on Phelps’ face went viral on social media.
A day later, the final was swum. Phelps reclaimed his 200m Olympic butterfly title and Le Clos finished fourth. He responded by ignoring the media in the mixed zone, towel draped over his head, while Phelps basked in the glory.
The following day Le Clos met with the media and apologised for his behaviour. ‘I let myself down, I let the country down,’ he told us. ‘I can’t explain it. I arrived here (in Rio) in the best shape of my life … I can honestly say that. I wasn’t aware of upsetting Michael in the ready room, I haven’t been on my phone for days and don’t know what the fuss is about. But, I can name five worse things that have happened to me in the past year,’ than not getting a medal in the 200m butterfly.
Le Clos didn’t expand on the statement, but it’s public knowledge that both his parents were battling cancer and when the 24-year-old broke the world record in the 100m butterfly in Montreal’s short-course championships he dedicated it to his mom.
And that victory makes us wonder about Rio.
Sure, Le Clos won two silver medals at the 2016 Games, one a unique three-way deadheat for silver in the 100m butterfly behind Joseph Schooling. That took his individual tally to four Olympic medals – one gold and three silvers – and makes him the most decorated swimmer in African Olympic history.
And, he will be 28 by the time Tokyo comes round and, given that he’s decided to embark on a new career direction and move to Cape Town from January, parting ways with Hill in doing so, he should be able to add to that medal tally.
But, when he writes his second book, he will no doubt reflect on Rio and perhaps more will be revealed. It was the night her poked the bear and Phelps responded emphatically. It was also the night many overseas media felt that one had seen how the South African reacted in defeat, not victory.
To his credit, Le Clos has rebounded and his success at the World Short-Course Championships has to be applauded. Now we eagerly await the next chapter. It won’t be his last.
