2017 SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Monday, April 3rd – Saturday, April 8th
- Kings Park Pool, Durban, South Africa
- LCM
- Event Schedule
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap
- Live Results
Olympian Chad Le Clos has been coming on strong in Durban, collecting his 3rd World Championships-qualifying mark of the South African National Championships meet. On night one, the 24-year-old fired off a lead-off split of 48.64 on his Western Cape Aquatics’ 4 x 100m freestyle relay, the fastest Le Clos has ever clocked in the Kings Park pool. Although the relay was eventually disqualified, Le Clos’ time falls under the 48.93 qualifying benchmark for Budapest, as well as checks-in as the 5th fastest time in the world this season.
Le Clos followed that performance up with more fireworks in the 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly events, where he won a gold medal in each. His freestyle time of 1:46.84 ranks as #2 in the world, as does his impressive outing of 1:55.00 achieved in the 200m butterfly. Having undergone significant changes in 2017, including moving to Cape Town and taking on a new coaching staff that includes Andrea di Nino and Bobby Hurley, Le Clos appears to have everything on track for the new quadrennial.
Post-racing tonight, Le Clos told SwimSwam that he’s ‘very happy’ with tonight’s 200m butterfly, as well as his earlier races. “This year has been a huge change for me, but so far everything has been on point. I’ve been very happy with Andrea and Bobby and the way we’ve been working together.”
Unshaven and unrested, Le Clos says he considers these South African National Championships as a mid-season meet, a stepping stone on his journey to this summer’s World Championships. Le Clos says he is coming into Budapest as “an underdog in all of my events, especially the 200m butterfly.” With Worlds taking place in Hungary, home swimmers Laszlo Cseh and Tamas Kenderesi will both prove to be a challenge in that particular event, says Le Clos, as well Japanese Olympic silver medalist in the event, Masato Sakai.
But, the South African says his “main focus is to just do my best,” which is never a bad strategy.
Who knows Schooling may surprise us and get Gold? But i still think 100 fly is more possible.
I am thinking if Schooling is able to surprise us in 200 fly with a podium finish.
With discussion about how deep the 200 fly is right now, I think it’s more appropriate than ever to renew my call for a 200 butterfly championship belt (original conversation here: http://imgur.com/FtLvKOQ). Topping a field this dense would be a triumph worthy of a huge, obnoxious, rhinestone-studded belt. Would love to see the eventual winner at Budapest atop the podium with the belt held high, asserting his dominance to the world– nay, God himself.
I vote for the belt!!
Conger will show him whats about the 200 fly …..
Hopefully after a taste of individual gold, he’s ready to take it to the big pool.
I don’t buy this ‘underdog’ sleeping tablet either. He will be on the podium. I would say that the favourite is Kenderesi with a 1:52 low. But, only if he has no injury or sickness like in Rio and Kazan. I don’t think so that Cseh can recover mentally from the trauma of missing his one and only chance to grab an Olympic gold.
Any news on his parents? Hope they are better off. Remember when his dad was back to the pool side in Windsor.
That podium is looking tougher and tougher to get on. Sakai, Kenderesi, and Conger could easily end up bumping Les Clos off. Then there’s Quah Zheng Wen, Schooling (maybe?), Cseh (big question mark), Seliskar… few other guys out there. I think Les Clos is definitely a favorite to medal, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if he gets bumped off the podium.
totally in the cards due to such depth in the vent now …..
I think we need to hold off on the American predictions. LCM season is just starting.
Seto will likely be in the conversation as well. Sheesh. Yeah, the battle for the podium is gonna be a bloodbath.
It’s Mr. Conger’s time.
Hope so.
No Michael Phelps and now Le Clos wants to be the underdog. ? Does anyone remember Le Clos staring down anyone else besides Michael Phelps? No. Sorry Mr Le Clos… the world expects a win in the 200 fly without Michael Phelps. Nice try tho. That Rio ego alone makes you the favorite.
1:55.00 un rested and unshaved? Doesn’t that seem to be really fast time if that’s the case?
Yeah I’d say a 1:52 high or a 1:53 rested and shaved
Don’t forget Laszlo Cseh was reportedly “untapered” when he swam that 1:52.9 early last year… we all know how that turned out in Rio.
Considering Le Clos enjoys speaking in hyperbole, let’s all wait until Budapest to see what he can do.