Four-time Olympic medalist Chad Le Clos says he’ll be altering his event focus after this summer’s Tokyo Games.
Le Clos, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist and two-time Long Course World Champion in the men’s 200 butterfly, told reporters he’s planning to turn his attention to the 100 freestyle over the gruelling fly event after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“I haven’t swum the 100 free in about two years. Unfortunately at Nationals it always comes before the 200 fly, so today we’re gonna have a go at the dirty double,” Le Clos said after swimming a time of 49.41 at the CANA Grand Prix in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
“Obviously it’s a race I’m focusing on for the future. So after this Olympics that’s going to be my new race: 100 free, and 100 fly.”
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The 29-year-old South African has always put his primary focus on the 100 and 200 fly in major competition, having medalled in the 200 at four straight LC World Championships along with his Olympic gold medal from 2012. In the 100 fly, Le Clos has won back-to-back Olympic silver medals to go along with World Championship titles in 2013 and 2015, plus a bronze in 2019.
His only medal at either the Olympics or World Championships (LC) that came outside of those two events came in the 200 freestyle. At the 2016 Olympics, Le Clos surprised many by challenging for the gold medal from out in Lane 1, leading the field through the 150 before ultimately winning silver behind China’s Sun Yang.
In the 100 free, Le Clos tied with reigning Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers for silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – in what remains his personal best time of 48.15 – but other than that, he’s only really raced the event in-season.
In the short course pool, Le Clos has proven to be an elite 100 freestyler, breaking 46 seconds on four occasions, including winning bronze at the 2018 SC World Championships.
Le Clos’ final run in the 200 fly, then, will come this summer, where the race will seemingly be for silver behind Hungarian Kristof Milak. Milak’s world record time of 1:50.73 is over two seconds clear of Le Clos’ PB – his 1:52.96 from the 2012 Olympics. Le Clos has also only broken 1:55 twice since the beginning of 2018.
By the time the 2024 Olympics roll around, Le Clos will be 32.
i remember when le clos used to swim the 200/400 IMs a decade ago
Do we think he has the speed to be a factor at 100free? He’s been great at 100fly for a long time, but those 2 events don’t always go together. 48.1 is a good place to start, but I just wonder what his ceiling is at a shorter event. He took his 200 out in 23.3 at the 2016 Olympics, but does he have the extra easy speed to get out there in 22.5 and be a medal contender? I guess we’ll find out, it he’s going to shift more towards speed and away from aerobic capacity in his training.
He could be an outside shot for a medal imo, assuming a bit of specialization gets him into the 47s. He denied Phelps a triple in the event no one thought he could lose so I’ll never bet against his ability to be clutch when someone else is off their game.
Would love to see him try the boxing routine in the Paris ’24 100 FR ready room.
Dressel and Chalmers would start laughing, play boxing with each other with over-emphasized limp-wristed punches, feigning great pain from the blows.
LeClos has been a staple in swimming for so long I forgot he’s still that young
can’t wait for le clos to go out in 21.5 and come home in 26.0
47.5 BABY! Ngl seems like a realistic time for him too.
Could probably do the sub 50 challenge and still die harder than either Blake or Zach ever did.
Not a big switch since the past few years he’s basically been swimming the 200 fly and 200 free like they were 100’s all out and then let’s see what’ll happen.
In my opinion he actually won gold in the 200 free at the 2016 Olympics!!
He should race 200 free too. He has a better start and underwaters than dressel.
Lol
of course he does grandma. lets get you back to bed okay 🙂
better underwaters but not start