AWSUMCelebrity Interview Q You have said before that Cape Town was your favourite city. You now live in Cape Town. Are you living the dream?
Q How did Rio compare to London? What are you taking to Tokyo?
A I am so happy to live in Cape Town. It is an unbelievable change from Durban, although it was hard to leave my family behind. I love seeing the ocean and the majestic sunsets from my apartment in Sea Point. I’ve been wanting to move to Cape Town for a long time, but the Olympics delayed things a bit. There are great training facilities around here. Stellenbosch is by far the best, but a little far, so I swam in the Sea Point pool until it became too cold.
A I went into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with a lot more pressure on myself than the 2012 London ones when I was a reasonably unknown swimmer on the international circuit. In 2016 the expectations were higher but in saying this – the competition and the challenge of very talented swimmers was far higher and made it even more exciting. Of course, I didn’t quite get the result I was looking for missing out on a medal in the 200m fly – but I’ve bounced back from this and already have my sights set on this event at the next Olympics in Tokyo!
Q You are establishing an elite swimming academy at Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town, in the slopes of Table Mountain. How did that come about? A I finally have the opportunity to create something that I always wanted. This will be a legacy for my family name and help youngsters come through. It would be so amazing if in 10 or 20 years’ time, someone would say ‘Chad helped me reach the Olympics’, or ‘Chad helped me reach a goal’. This is my biggest inspiration in creating this academy. The academy will open in September and although it is an elite academy, it will be grown from grassroots levels, giving opportunities to our youngsters. Q What has happened for you since the last Olympics, when you did not clinch gold again? A Well, I was obviously disappointed to not win gold at the Rio Olympics, but champs have to respond. The next four years are more important than the past four years, and I am by no means easing off. I now have a great platform from which to bounce back and win gold in Tokyo in 2020. Q The 100m butterfly saw you tie for silver with Michael Phelps and László Cseh. You had a good laugh on the podium – what was that about? A The 100m fly silver was great – to be in a three-way tie and stand alongside Phelps and Cseh on the podium was an amazing feeling. When we stepped up to the podium, I suggested we hold hands for a picture, but there was quite delay, so we held hands for quite a while and I joked to Phelps that Nicole (Phelps’ wife) was going to start getting jealous, hence the laughing.
Q What do you do in the moments just before the gun sounds and you have to dive into the pool? A My focus becomes razor sharp, starting in tahe call room. I prepare myself for war. Q What do you eat on race day? A Nothing particular – usually some pasta and protein. It depends on what I feel like, so I might eat a bit of everything. Q Tell us a bit about your family and friends. A My parents are Bert and Geraldine le Clos. I have three siblings and we are a very tight-knit family. My brother, Jordan, is living with me in my apartment in Sea Point. We are very close. I have a small circle of close friends. I love to play poker with my friends! My dad is actually a bigger star than I am, after the London Olympics where his response to my win went ‘viral’, in his own words! My team of close-knit family and friends are vital to my success. I truly could not have done it without them. Q Of which celebrities are you a fan? A Sporting-wise, Cristiano Ronaldo – I’m big fan of his. Celebrity-wise, Phoebe Tonkin of The Vampire Diaries. Q What message do you have for our readers?
Q The usual question … what is the relationship between you and Michael Phelps like? A Well, he is my biggest idol. He was rather stunned after his loss in the 200m butterfly in the London Olympic Games, but he took it like a man and was humble in defeat. I was, in turn, pretty devastated after my loss after all the hype leading to our rematch at the Rio Games in 2016. I got him in London, he got me in Rio so we tied. But we have the kind of relationship where there’s huge rivalry in the big buildups to clashes, but whatever happens before, happens before, and afterwards we shake hands.
A My Personal Best is every moment I’m in the pool representing my country and I’ve been inspired by so many of your own personal best stories online. Keep setting your own PB goals and achieving these – it’s a great feeling every time.
AWSUM NEWS JUNE 2017
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