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It was a little difficult to decide who walked away from the 2012 London Olympics as the bigger star – Chad or his dad.
In reality his stunning achievement made Chad le Clos one of the greatest stories to emerge from London, but his father Bert also headed home to South Africa with a slice of celebrity status.
Moments after his son upset the seemingly unbeatable Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly final, Bert appeared on the BBC, interviewed by Clare Balding, and for the next 90 seconds captivated the planet.
“Unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable. What happened tonight it’s like I just died and went to heaven. And he’s beautiful. What a beautiful boy. Look at him. He’s crying like me. I love you. Oh my God.”
While Chad’s dad stole the instant limelight, his son was the endearing story.
Phelps had owned the 200m butterfly for more than a decade winning five world titles and two Olympic gold medals in the event. But now, he had found himself 0.05s behind the South African.
It was the race which defined le Clos. No matter what he achieves from that point on, he will always be remembered for that one race, when he beat the unbeatable. Ian Thorpe won five Olympic gold medals, 11 world titles and broke numerous world records, yet he will always be remembered for the night he raced down American Gary Hall jnr and won the relay for Australia on the opening night of the Sydney Olympics.
But unlike Thorpe, for le Clos it was about beating his hero.
An 11-year-old le Clos watched Phelps in Athens, and instantly wanted to be like him. He watched him win the 200m butterfly in Beijing and suddenly decided that too would be his event. He had been a breaststroker, but two weeks after Beijing he swam his first 200m butterfly.
He became almost obsessed with Phelps, studying his every move, and even picturing himself as Phelps when he swam.
As he was preparing to race in London, his coach Graham Hill said words Chad will never forget: “This is the last time you will ever get to race Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly. If you want to beat him, you have to beat him tonight. This is your last chance.”
He took that chance … only just, but that’s all it takes.
Le Clos would go on to win another Olympic medal, a silver in the 100m butterfly behind Phelps, and while he does not want to be a one race wonder, the night he slayed the giant will always be the one he is known for.
And he fulfilled a promise: “I told myself I would tell him [Phelps], he was my hero. So that’s what I did.”
The response from Phelps was a soft tap on the shoulder and briefly putting his arm around le Clos.
“I think he knew already. He told me he would wish me luck for the future and said he really wanted to watch me do great things.”
While 2012 was exceptional, 2013 wasn’t too bad. He won world titles in both the 100m and 200m butterfly, set world shortcourse records in the 200m butterfly, and during the World Cup series he won 24 gold, eight silver and three bronze medals, earning a tidy $US 300,000.
What am I competing in?
It would almost be quicker to list what Chad isn’t competing in. He won seven golds at the South African selection trials, and at this stage he is scheduled to swim nine events: the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly, 200m and 400m individual medley, 200m backstroke, plus the 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley relays.
Who is my competition?
In the 200m butterfly Chad is now to the rest of the Commonwealth what Phelps used to be to the world… virtually untouchable. Australia’s Grant Irvine is ranked second and silver medal favourite. In the 100m butterfly, Chad’s biggest competition is likely to come from Australians Chris Wright and Tommaso D’Orsogna. In the 200m medley it’s a three way fight between Chad, and Australia’s Daniel Tranter and Tom Fraser-Holmes, while Fraser-Holmes is a huge obstacle in the 400m medley, and another Aussie, Mitch Larkin, is the man to beat in the 200m backstroke.
Form heading into Glasgow
He was in superb form at the South African titles back in April, winning seven events, but then his form at the recent Mare Nostrum tour was a little off, including a shock loss in the 200m butterfly to Japan’s Daiya Seto. But, don’t be alarmed Chad fans, he was in the midst of heavy training, doing 16 kms a day before racing, so expect the real Chad le Clos to be on the blocks in Glasgow. He and his South African teammates will prepare for the Games with a camp in Monaco hosted by Princess Charlene.
Commonwealth Games History
This will be Chad’s second Commonwealth Games. In Delhi he won five medals, gold in the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley, and a silver and two bronze in relays. He has a goal of surpassing Susie O’Neill’s record of 15 Commonwealth Games medals, and will edge a little closer in Glasgow.
Why do I make ‘must watch’ status?
When Chad’s around, things seem to happen. London showed us that, and while he probably won’t leave Scotland with a golden haul the size Phelps took away from Beijing in 2008, Chad is likely to have excess baggage courtesy of his Games medallions.
Fast Facts
– Born on 12 April 1992, in Durban.
– His mother is South African, but his father was born in Mauritius and is one of 10 children. Bert moved to South Africa when he was 9 and couldn’t speak a word of English.
– At the 2012 Olympic trials, Chad had 62 people there, supporting him.
– Chad didn’t only have his father Bert in his corner in London, he had royalty cheering him on. Former South African swimmer, now Monaco’s Princess Charlene, held nothing back when watching her friend win Olympic gold, as the photos on Chad’s website show
– Chad was a promising soccer player and also played rugby and cricket but didn’t like losing and would blame his teammates, so he figured he was more suited to an individual sport.
– Away from the pool he enjoys the outdoors, the beach, surfing and is a huge PlayStation/FIFA fan.
– After his success in London, he was asked to co-write his biography. At first he was not keen as he felt he was too young, but agreed to co-write a book with Myan Subrayan to inspire young people and to thank his family, friends and supporters across the world. The book is aptly titled: “Unbelievable”.– Was the most goggled man in South Africa in 2012
– Favourite food: Pasta and steak
– Favourite films: The Hangover
– Idols: Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, and Michael Phelps.
– Having fulfilled his own dream in London, Chad returned home and at the airport was not only greeted by around 10,000 fans, but one young girl with a sign asking if he would take her to her high school dance. For 17-year-old Melanie Olhaus, it was a dream come true when Chad said: “I think I can do that.” He escorted her to the dance and then to two after parties, before heading home for some early morning swimming commitments.– Chad is regular on twitter and has almost 142,000 followers @chadleclos. He also has some fans on twitter such as @The_Chadettes who “are the 1st and Official Chadettes page here to support our hero @chadleclos, and ChadsLadies “An international group of Women dedicated to the adoration and support o @chadleclos, who we think is simply awesome.” He also has a Facebook fan page.
Best quotes
“Never give up on your dreams and goals; and don’t get carried away with pride.”
This article was first published on the Tenplay website here.