2023 World Aquatics World Cup Series:
October 6-8: Berlin, Germany
October 13-15: Athens, Greece
October 20-22: Budapest, Hungary
Next month brings the 2023 World Aquatics World Cup, with this year’s series consisting of stops in Berlin, Athens and Budapest.
We reported that big guns Kristof Milak of Hungary and Adam Peaty are set to make their racing returns during the event but South Africa’s Chad Le Clos is also looking forward to making his post-sickness debut.
After racing at this year’s South African National Championships in April, 31-year-old Le Clos wound up pulling out of this year’s World Championships due to illness.
“My year started off great. I was in great shape until after the nationals in April/May and then I got really sick for 6 weeks and have been struggling a little since. So these world cups are important for me to get the momentum back for next year February and of course July.”
Le Clos has been prolific on the World Cup circuit throughout his career, amassing a total of 151 golds and 22 total medals, the most ever recorded by a male athlete.
Last year, Le Clos collected 9 medals, consisting of 5 gold and 4 silver, to place 3rd overall in the men’s World Cup competition behind winner Nic Fink of the United States and runner-up Dylan Carter of Trinidad & Tobago.
The South African’s successful tour conjured up ‘Chad 2.0’, with the Berlin stop seeing Le Clos clock a 100m fly time of 48.58, the 6th-fastest time of his career and best outing in the event since 2020.
Speaking to World Aquatics this week, Le Clos said of that race, “It meant the world to me to win my first race in a long time with such a great time 48. I knew I was back because I had changed a lot of things in my life. I was done with losing and that’s when Chad 2.0 was born.”
He went on to take the 200m fly gold at December’s Short Course World Championships, putting up a lifetime best of 1:48.27 in the process.
Reflecting on that achievement, Le Clos said, “I was very proud of the way I carried my form through the world champs. Winning in Melbourne felt a little like winning Olympics because I had been written off by the swimming community, but people didn’t know that I haven’t been myself since Covid.”
Turning toward the World Cup, Le Clos revealed what he is looking forward to at each historic city.
“They are all very special because, firstly, I always love the European legs and racing in the Middle East. Berlin was the birth of Chad 2.0, Athens will be the first time competing in the city where the South Africans destroyed everyone in the 4×100 Free Relay. And of course, Budapest. This is one of my favourite swimming venues; I love the fans In Budapest and I hope they will cheer for me like they always do.”
Quotes courtesy of World Aquatics.
Source link : https://swimswam.com/chad-le-clos-using-world-cup-series-as-momentum-springboard/
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Publish date : 2023-09-18 07:00:00
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