South African swimmer Chad le Clos failed to advance beyond the 100m butterfly heats at the Paris Olympics on Friday. Despite his determination and experience, he finished second in his heat with a time of 52.24 seconds, placing 24th overall and missing the semifinals by just 0.6 seconds.
This is the first time in his four Olympic appearances that the 32-year-old swimmer has not reached a final. Le Clos, who won silver in the 100m butterfly at both London 2012 and Rio 2016, was nursing a shoulder injury sustained four weeks prior when a child jumped into his lane during practice.
“It was tough. The last 25 meters were really hard,” Le Clos said. “On my best day, with my best time, it would have been hard to make the final. I would have probably made it, sure, but it would have been a hell of a swim to get on that podium.”
Despite his disappointment, Le Clos remains optimistic and determined to continue his swimming career. He plans to undergo rehabilitation for his neck and shoulder injury and aims to compete in the world short-course championships in Budapest this December. One of his goals is to surpass Ryan Lochte’s record of 23 individual medals, of which 14 are gold. Le Clos currently holds 19 individual medals, including 12 gold.
“I’m happy with the career I’ve had. It’s not done yet,” Le Clos asserted. “I’m definitely in the departure lounge. The shoulder, the back, everything is falling apart. But it is what it is. We keep swinging. I’m not going to give up.”
Le Clos’s commitment to his sport is unwavering. “The boys are going to have to put a few more arrows in me before I stop. I wish I could stop, but I can’t. It’s here,” he said, tapping his chest.
Photographer Roger Sedres, who has documented Le Clos’s journey, praised his resilience and determination. “Almost 14 years ago, he won his first gold medal by beating Michael Phelps in the men’s 200m butterfly final at the London Olympics. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of photographing one of the greatest swimmers across Rio, Tokyo, and now Paris,” Sedres reflected.
Meanwhile, fellow South African swimmer Matthew Sates finished seventh in the same heat. Rebecca Meder advanced to the 200m individual medley semifinals, finishing 16th with a time of 2:11.96.
“I’m not happy with the time, but if you look at all the top swimmers, they’re not quite on their times either. I know I’ve got a personal best in the bag, and I’ve been training hard,” Meder said. “I cried after the race, not because of anything other than the relief I felt after swimming the heat. Waiting this long to race has been quite a challenge.”
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