Not Chad le Clos, but 20YO Forces America’s Michael Andrew to Share Silver With Australian Rival in 100M Butterfly at Swimming World Cup 2023

Chad le Clos missed the 2023 Swimming World Championships in Fukuoka. South Africa’s most decorated Olympian had withdrawn from the prestigious competition without any clarification and it was reported that the swimmer was unwell. However, all that is in the past as the most successful swimmer in the Swimming World Cup tournament has once again returned to the pool in the Swimming World Cup 2023.

Before the tournament, the South African had mentioned that he would take it slow and build up his form for next year’s Olympics. This has been reflected in his result at the ongoing World Cup where he is yet to register a win while in his latest race, another South African won the race while USA’s Michael Andrew had to settle for a rare second-place tie.

Michael Andrew settles for second place at the Swimming World Cup 2023

The men’s 100m butterfly event heats at the Athens leg of the ongoing Swimming World Cup 2023 was won by USA’s Michael Andrew who finished first with a time of 52.11 seconds while Chad le Clos was the last swimmer to qualify in the eighth position. However, when it came to the 100m butterfly finals, le Clos finished fifth with a time of 52.21 seconds, while his fellow countryman Matthew Sates secured a first-place finish in a time of 51.82 seconds.

USA’s Michael Andrew finished second with 51.92 seconds, but he wasn’t the only one as Australia’s Cody Simpson also clocked the same time. This led to both of them sharing a rare second-place finish. However, Andrew, who has been in amazing form this World Cup, soon bounced back and displayed another brilliant performance just twenty minutes later.

Michael Andrew wins the men’s 50m freestyle event

As the first day of the Athens leg of the Swimming World Cup 2023 ended, American swimmer Michael Andrew led the men’s individual ranking table with 89.7 points. This was made possible by his impressive performances during the Berlin leg of the tournament, his second-place tie at the 100m butterfly event in Athens and his 50m freestyle win. Twenty minutes after his first race in Athens, Andrew faced off against the likes of Issac Cooper and Dylan Carter but managed to secure a first-place finish as he recorded a time of 21.96 seconds.

Read more: American Water Wizard Michael Andrew Makes History Repeat After Shocking Tie With Arch-Rival in 50M Butterfly at Swimming World Cup 2023

Andrew will be hoping to put in similar performances throughout this weekend and then carry on his impressive performance to Budapest next weekend. Fans of the American swimmer will be cheering for the swimming prodigy and hoping that he brings his hot run of form to Paris next year and wins a host of Olympic medals in the process.

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