This Day in Swimming History: Michael Phelps’ Arch Rival Chad Le Clos Swam the ‘Highlight’ Race of His Life

It was the year 2021, when South African swimming icon, Chad le Clos was dealing with an uphill battle on both personal and professional fronts. For Clos, “nothing was going right,” as after his performance at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he was rendered disappointed for not making it to the 100m butterfly final. Following this, the swimmer dealt with a rough year in the wake of personal incidents that affected his cognitive health. However, for Clos, it was “very, very important to take the first step.”

Hence, leaving behind the turmoil of the year 2021, Clos rose to the occasion in the year 2022 and left no stone unturned to give some of the best performances in his beloved arena. Known for being Michael Phelps’ arch-rival in the pool, Clos flaunted one of his career’s best performances on December 15, 2022, at the World Swimming Championships. And now, as his 200m butterfly performance completes a year, it resurfaced on the internet and took all the social media brownie points.

Chad Le Clos’ unforgettable swim at the 2022 World Swimming Championships

As Clos’ incredible 2022 spree completes one year, the World Aquatics official added the South African’s previous year’s WAC performance. The clip shows Chad with his positive attitude walking toward the pool and flaunting his best stroke. The caption stated, “Exactly a year ago today Swimming world legendary arch-rival Chad Le Clos left the swimming world in awe and rose in the 200m Butterfly in an amazing race at the World Swimming Championships 25m in Melbourne.”

It got Clos attention very soon. Under the same post, Chad commented, “This was one of the highlights of my life” & tagged his father’s Instagram account “@berteleclos” with the hashtag “Never give up”. However, some fans might wonder why the page only gave a throwback to this video and it made Clos add a nostalgic comment to it. Here you go.

Highlights from the 2022 Fina Short Course World Championships 

The years before 2022 haven’t been a cakewalk for the athlete. Struggling with injuries and illness since Tokyo 2020 (2021), star swimmer Chad Le Clos aims for redemption at the Los Angeles Olympics. Despite enduring a debilitating virus for four months, the resilient athlete made a stunning comeback in the 2022 World Cup, clinching nine medals (five golds and four silver), including a golden double at the World Swimming Championships.

His triumphant return reflects a strong resolve to overcome setbacks, showcasing mental fortitude and determination in the Melbourne’s 200m butterfly performance. The South African swimmer continued leveling up the game throughout the evening and finally brought gold with a career-best time of 1:48.27 at the Short Course World Championships. Dominating the field, Le Clos outpaced Daiya Seto and Noe Ponti. 

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This performance surpasses his previous lifetime best of 1:48.32 set in 2018 and made him the new African Record holder. Notably, he strategically adjusted his approach, displaying patience to maintain speed through the back half. With this, he stood victorious, leaving behind the hardships of tribulations he came across in 2021. 

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