Months After Struggling With Undisclosed Illness, Will Chad le Clos Be Able To Rule Swimming World Cup 2023?

Swimming sensation Chad le Clos is South Africa’s most decorated Olympian ever. The swimmer holds a number of medals to his name, which also includes four Olympic medals. However, when it comes to the Swimming World Cup, the South African is on a different level, with a total of 222 medals, which includes a staggering 151 gold medals. Although le Clos had been in amazing form since last year’s Swimming World Cup, he withdrew from this year’s World Championship in Fukuoka, citing an undisclosed illness.

But le Clos looks ready now as the 2023 Swimming World Cup kicks off in a few days with Berlin hosting the first leg of the competition. All eyes will be on the Olympic champion who will once again grace his favorite tournament as he gears up to face the likes of Kristof Malik and Dylan Carter in order to maintain his supremacy over the competition.

Will Chad le Clos dominate the 2023 Swimming World Cup?

Swimming history highlights that the Swimming World Cup is Chad le Clos’ favorite event. In fact, even last year, the Olympian secured five gold and four silver medals during the same competition as he ranked third in the overall men’s standings. Talking about his illness to World Aquatics, le Clos said, “My year started off great. I was in great shape until after the nationals in April/May and then I got really sick for 6 Weeks and have been struggling a little since.”

Chad le Clos is hopeful and excited for all three legs of the 2023 Swimming World Cup, which includes venues in Berlin, Athens, and Budapest. He is particularly excited for Athens, where he has never raced till now and which is where the South African men’s 400m free relay team set a new world record during the 2004 Athens Olympics. The South African is also looking forward to Budapest for its always cheerful swimming fans. However, all his successes have also led le Clos to some difficult paths in the past where he has greatly suffered from mental health issues.

Chad le Clos’ mental health struggles

Chad le Clos has an impeccable CV. However, like many high-performing individuals in the sporting world, the South African has battled his own set of challenges with mental health. In fact, according to a Swim Swam report, le Clos even contemplated suicide in 2021. Even during the build-up to the Tokyo Olympics, the swimmer was suffering from severe depression, which completely altered his sleeping schedule. Eventually, he took the support of therapy and participated in EDMR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) – a practice used by soldiers who experience post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Chad le Clos is much better now when it comes to mental health and that reflects through his performances. He is entering the tournament after having skipped the world championships but will be aiming to put in some strong performances and maintain that momentum for next year’s Paris Olympics.

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