Two-Time Defending Champ Chad le Clos Misses 100 Fly Final In Budapest

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Sunday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 30th
• Budapest, Hungary
• LCM (50m)
• Full Competition Schedule
• Meet Info
• Psych Sheets
• Omega Results
• Pick ’em Contest
• Event-by-Event Previews

Two-time defending world champ Chad le Clos has missed the men’s 100 fly final at the 2017 World Championships after a lackluster semifinal swim.

Le Clos went on an almost-unbeatable win streak in this event from 2013 onwards. He took silver at the 2012 Olympics (51.44), then won the 2013 World title (51.06), 2014 Commonwealth title (51.29) and 2015 World title (50.56) before dropping to silver at the 2016 Olympics (51.14).

But in tonight’s first semifinal, le Clos went 51.48 and finished 7th, all but assuring he’d be left out of the 8-man final. He wound up in 12th place, though his time from the morning heats would have placed him 7th with a lane in the medal final.

Le Clos dropped the 200 free earlier in the meet, presumably to have a bit more energy left for qualifying in his 100 and 200 butterfly swims. But le Clos swims a notoriously painful 200 fly with a gutsy front-half but rough closing speed. He did win World Champs gold in the 200, but swimming that race three times between Tuesday and Wednesday may have left him a bit fatigued for his remaining 100 fly qualifying races.