Entering the 16th FINA World Swimming Championships in Melbourne ranked 2nd in terms of most decorated male swimmers at Short Course World Championships in individual events, Le Clos smashed the African record in the 200m Butterfly and then went onto secure Gold in the 100m Butterfly. This victory is now his third butterfly double of his career to date, having achieved it previously in 2014 and 2016.
This comeback is on the back of a tough few years for Le Clos, however, as he said after the race, “…the king is back” and this time with a new coach (Dirk Lange) and a new mindset. Testament to this is that his 200m Butterfly in which he broke the African record was also among his top 10 fastest times of his career. For Chad, the 200m Butterfly title is his most important world title personally – he is ecstatic to have it back.
