music_note
Injured Le Clos bows out of Paris
South African swimmer, Chad le Clos, bowed out of the Paris Olympic Games after failing to make it to the semifinals of the men’s 200m butterfly today.
The London 2012 gold medalist finished second in his heat at the La Defense Arena, with a time of 52.24. In pain, the South African immediately grabbed his shoulder.
Le Clos then had to wait for the rest of the heats to see if his time was good enough. Unfortunately, he slumped down to 24th place, which was not enough to make the top 16 to advance to the semifinals.
“I suffered a shoulder tear four weeks ago when a kid jumped on me when I was swimming and my shoulder popped out,” he told Team SA’s website before the race.
“It will have recovered but the inflammation and damage done has affected me. Three weeks ago, I was crying every day. I’ll be devastated if I can’t compete… it will be one of the worst moments in my career,” he said.
“I’ve put so much into it. I’m now 32, a pensioner in swimming terms. My body feels like it’s 40. I’ve bled for this sport; bled for my country. I’m a patriot.”
Le Clos shot to global stardom 12 years ago when he edged American superstar, Michael Phelps, to win his only gold in the 200m butterfly at the London Games in 2012. He then went on to pick up three Olympic silver medals over his illustrious career.
Similar posts
Current show
Upcoming shows
Latest posts
