Chad le Clos is a swimmer who has competed for South Africa. He qualified for the South African swimming team at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Summer Olympic Games. He won a total of four medals throughout his Olympic career and five more as a Youth Olympian in 2010. Apart from his medals, he also holds the African, Commonwealth, and national long-course records in the men's 100 and 200 metres butterfly.
At his first Olympics in 2012, le Clos came from third at the final turn to edge out Michael Phelps (his superhero) by five hundredths of a second (0.05) for the gold medal and an African record time in the men's 200 metres butterfly. He also tied for the silver with Evgeny Korotyshkin a few days later in the 100 metres butterfly, finishing behind Phelps by 0.23 seconds.
Le Clos continued his unprecedented success in Rio de Janeiro 2016 with a runner-up finish to Sun Yang in the 200 metres freestyle and a three-way-tie for the silver with Phelps and László Cseh behind Joseph Schooling in the 100 metres butterfly, a repeated feat from the previous Games. With his third and fourth medal, he was named the country's most decorated Olympian in history.
At his third straight Games in Tokyo, he was selected to carry the South African flag during the opening ceremony with Phumelela Mbande. He swam again in the butterfly double but failed to attain a medal.
Olympic Results[]
Year | Event | Rank |
---|---|---|
2012 | Men's 100m butterfly | |
Men's 200m butterfly | ||
Men's 200m individual medley | 9th | |
Men's 400m individual medley | 5th | |
Men's 4x200m freestyle relay | 7th | |
Men's 4x100m medley relay | 13th | |
2016 | Men's 200m freestyle | |
Men's 100m butterfly | ||
Men's 200m butterfly | 4th | |
2020 | Men's 100m butterfly | 18th |
Men's 200m butterfly | 5th |
2012[]
Discipline | Round | Time | |
---|---|---|---|
100 metres butterfly | Heats | 51.54 | NR |
Semifinal | 51.42 | NR | |
Final | 51.44 | ||
200 metres butterfly | Heats | 1:55.23 | |
Semifinal | 1:54.43 | AR | |
Final | 1:52.96 | AR | |
200 metres individual medley | Heats | 1:59.45 | |
Semifinal | 1:58.49 | ||
Final | Withdrew | ||
400 metres individual medley | Heats | 4:12.24 | NR |
Final | 4:12.42 | ||
4x200 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 7:11.51 (1:47.63 split) |
|
Final | 7:09.65 (1:47.15 split) |
||
4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 3:35.23 (51.83 split) |
|
Final | Did not advance |
2016[]
Discipline | Round | Time | |
---|---|---|---|
200 metres freestyle | Heats | 1:45.89 | |
Semifinal | 1:45.94 | ||
Final | 1:45.20 | AR | |
100 metres butterfly | Heats | 51.75 | |
Semifinal | 51.43 | ||
Final | 51.14 | ||
200 metres butterfly | Heats | 1:55.57 | |
Semifinal | 1:55.19 | ||
Final | 1:54.06 |
2020[]
Discipline | Round | Time |
---|---|---|
100 metres butterfly | Heats | 51.89 |
Semifinal | Did not advance | |
Final | ||
200 metres butterfly | Heats | 1:55.96 |
Semifinal | 1:55.06 | |
Final | 1:54.93 |