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Chad le Clos Scratching 200 Free On Day 2 Of Worlds, Sources Say

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Several sources tell SwimSwam that Rio Olympic silver medalist Chad le Clos will be scratching out of tomorrow’s 200 freestyle. He’s currently seeded 5th.

The reports come from the same sources who tipped SwimSwam that fellow South African Olympic champ Cameron van der Burgh would be scratching the 100 breaststroke, a move that did indeed happen this morning in Budapest.

Le Clos, mainly a butterflyer, came up with a statement swim in the 200 free back at South African Nationals in April, going a 1:46.84 that at the time checked in at #2 worldwide for the season. Three months later, he’s still just outside the top 10 in the world ranks, and two swimmers ahead of him (Zane Grothe, Gabriele Detti) won’t race the event tomorrow. Le Clos, seeded at a 1:45.20 from last summer’s Rio Olympics, would have had an inside lane in the heats.

That time won silver at the 2016 Olympics, just six tenths out of gold. Le Clos is also entered in the 100 and 200 butterfly races later in the week, and finals of the 200 free does conflict with semifinals of the 200 fly. Le Clos, a fearless front-half swimmer, can have a tendency to wear himself out in 200-meter races, especially in a Worlds format that requires three swims (heats, semifinals, finals) of each event.

Le Clos still appears on tomorrow’s start lists, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on the meet documents leading up to tomorrow’s prelims session.

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korn
7 years ago

South Africans are soft. Cameron wins silver medal in Rio and now scratches the 100. Chad wins silver medal in 200 last year and now he scratches. He also didn’t swim SA relay this morning…..why not? too good for a prelim relay? Sarah swam two relays today, prelims and semis of the 100 fly and she still set the WR.

Quack
7 years ago

Who are these ‘sources’?

Captain Awesome
Reply to  Quack
7 years ago

I’m not sure you understand how journalism works. Release sources and you get no more leads.

Tom from Chicago
7 years ago

It conflicted with his boxing training. LeClos wants the winner of MacGregor/Mayweather.

Ron
7 years ago

The field is too strong for him maybe, Sun Yang, Haas, Guy and maybe he thinks he has no chances to get a medal in this event!

Swimmer?
Reply to  Ron
7 years ago

He does have a chance, but it may have killed his 200 fly in Rio, so he wants to scratch it because he cares more about the fly.

HENRIK CHRISTIANSEN 800 FREE BRONZE
Reply to  Swimmer?
7 years ago

A smart move in my opinion. He wants the 200 fly-throne back. Heck, he’s even had nightmares about it.

Swimmer?

He will only be the steward till he gets 1:51.50

brett
Reply to  Swimmer?
7 years ago

He will never get that low

Swimmer?
Reply to  brett
7 years ago

Exactly

Swimmer?
7 years ago

Watch out for Chad on the 200 fly. He could win the gold… then again so could Cseh, or Sakai, or Kenderesi.

DMacNCheez
Reply to  Swimmer?
7 years ago

In retrospect, this was such an intelligent comment

Pvdh
7 years ago

Dressel has them shook

crooked donald
Reply to  Pvdh
7 years ago

Their only hope is that Dressel is so high right now from his incredible first day that he can’t sleep. Of course, after they watched Dressel today, Schooling and LeClos probably won’t be able to sleep either.

E Gamble
Reply to  crooked donald
7 years ago

That won’t work. He only has the 50 free final tomorrow. He probably gets to sleep in and wake up when rested. ?

Dylab
Reply to  Pvdh
7 years ago

Are you the real PVDH?

Pvdh
Reply to  Dylab
7 years ago

I wish

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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