A determined Chad le Clos can bounce back in the 100m butterfly in Rio today after being humbled by Michael Phelps in the 200m, former swimming star Ryk Neethling says.
Le Clos burst onto the world stage when he edged Phelps in the 200m butterfly at the London Olympics in 2012, but in the highly anticipated rematch here the South African was pushed into fourth place.
Phelps reclaimed the crown for the third time since 2004.
After the race a hurting Le Clos, 24, rushed past the media without talking, and the question is whether he can lift himself up for the 100m butterfly, the event in which he is the two-time world champion.
“I think so,” replied Neethling, a member of SA’s Olympic champion 4x100m freestyle relay team in 2004.
“The boy has – what he did was incredible, really, really just unbelievable.
“There’s nothing wrong with him. I just think he hit a bit of wobble there. I think Phelps at 75 started to pull away, and Chad let him go a little too much, I think.
“He looked flat tonight. There was nothing there when we all wanted him to go.”
Le Clos won a brave silver in the 200m freestyle on Monday night, using the unfamiliar tactic of going out hard instead of his come-from-behind strategy.
“Switching gears for him is not as easy as it used to be,” noted Neethling.
“He’s got that speed, but he can’t come out of the turn and push it like he used to. That is evident.”
He expects Le Clos to quit the 200m butterfly to focus on the freestyle events, particularly the blue riband 100m race.
The only reason he didn’t do the 100m in Rio is because the semifinals were just before the 200m butterfly final.
“In my humble opinion I think this is the last time we see Chad swim the 200 fly at a major event.
“He’s going to be a great 100 freestyler. He’s going to get bigger and stronger.
“It’s also just a much easier race to train for than the 200 butterfly.”
Coach Graham Hill brushed off his protégè’s failure to make the podium.
“At the 150 mark he was good – 1:23.3, that’s where we wanted to be and he just didn’t have it to come home.
“I think it was a big race and hats off to Michael, the true champion that he is …
“The true champion Chad is, we’ve still got the 100 fly to come so I’m sure he’ll be back and challenging again on Friday night.”
Le Clos copped much flak on social media for the call-room shadow boxing routine he directed at Phelps before their 200m butterfly semifinal, but the American swimmer praised his rival.
“He is a very good racer and he’s not afraid to put it all on the line. He did that in the 200 free last night.
“I knew exactly where he was most of the race,” said Phelps, admitting that his loss to Le Clos four years ago had hurt.
“It was a frustrating race for me and it’s good for the sport to be able to have a competitor like that to race in multiple events, not just the 200 fly …
“This is a race I really wanted to win. I really wanted that one back.”
Just more than an hour after the race Phelps, 31, picked up the 25th Olympic medal – 21st gold – of his career in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Le Clos can float like a butterfly one more time
Le Clos burst onto the world stage when he edged Phelps in the 200m butterfly at the London Olympics in 2012, but in the highly anticipated rematch here the South African was pushed into fourth place.
Phelps reclaimed the crown for the third time since 2004.
After the race a hurting Le Clos, 24, rushed past the media without talking, and the question is whether he can lift himself up for the 100m butterfly, the event in which he is the two-time world champion.
“I think so,” replied Neethling, a member of SA’s Olympic champion 4x100m freestyle relay team in 2004.
“The boy has – what he did was incredible, really, really just unbelievable.
“There’s nothing wrong with him. I just think he hit a bit of wobble there. I think Phelps at 75 started to pull away, and Chad let him go a little too much, I think.
“He looked flat tonight. There was nothing there when we all wanted him to go.”
Le Clos won a brave silver in the 200m freestyle on Monday night, using the unfamiliar tactic of going out hard instead of his come-from-behind strategy.
“Switching gears for him is not as easy as it used to be,” noted Neethling.
“He’s got that speed, but he can’t come out of the turn and push it like he used to. That is evident.”
He expects Le Clos to quit the 200m butterfly to focus on the freestyle events, particularly the blue riband 100m race.
The only reason he didn’t do the 100m in Rio is because the semifinals were just before the 200m butterfly final.
“In my humble opinion I think this is the last time we see Chad swim the 200 fly at a major event.
“He’s going to be a great 100 freestyler. He’s going to get bigger and stronger.
“It’s also just a much easier race to train for than the 200 butterfly.”
Coach Graham Hill brushed off his protégè’s failure to make the podium.
“At the 150 mark he was good – 1:23.3, that’s where we wanted to be and he just didn’t have it to come home.
“I think it was a big race and hats off to Michael, the true champion that he is …
“The true champion Chad is, we’ve still got the 100 fly to come so I’m sure he’ll be back and challenging again on Friday night.”
Le Clos copped much flak on social media for the call-room shadow boxing routine he directed at Phelps before their 200m butterfly semifinal, but the American swimmer praised his rival.
“He is a very good racer and he’s not afraid to put it all on the line. He did that in the 200 free last night.
“I knew exactly where he was most of the race,” said Phelps, admitting that his loss to Le Clos four years ago had hurt.
“It was a frustrating race for me and it’s good for the sport to be able to have a competitor like that to race in multiple events, not just the 200 fly …
“This is a race I really wanted to win. I really wanted that one back.”
Just more than an hour after the race Phelps, 31, picked up the 25th Olympic medal – 21st gold – of his career in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
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