Swimming | Le Clos rolls back the years to take gold

It was all about Chad Le Clos as the 32-year-old star turned back the clock to take gold in the men’s 200m butterfly on the second day of the 2024 Swimming World Cup leg in Singapore on Friday.

And if it was another day, it was another medal for 20-year-old Pieter Coeze, who added silver in the men’s 50m backstroke to his bagful of medals.

Singapore is the final meet of the three-leg Swimming World Cup short-course (25m pool) series that started in Shanghai a fortnight ago, stopped off in Inchen and now concludes in Singapore on Saturday.

Le Clos surged from third at the 150m mark to wind up on top of this men’s 200m fly field, registering 1:50.42 for the gold. Behind him was Trenton Julian of the United States who touched in 1:51.68 followed by Italy’s Alberto Razzetti in who hit 1:51.96.

Le Clos’ time was his quickest across the series took his World Cup career medal haul of 229.

In the back and forth between Australian Isaac Cooper and Team SA’s Coetze in this men’s 50m back across the series, it was the Aussie who wound up on top at this final stop.

Cooper crushed a time of 22.61, a mark just 0.03 outside the World Cup record of 22.58 he notched during the heats in Shanghai.

Coetze settled for silver in 22.75, lowering his lifetime best and African record of 22.80 registered en route to gold in Incheon. This was after he sealed up his hat-trick of victories in the 200m backstroke on Thursday.

Going into Saturday’s final day in Singapore, South Africa had racked up 16 medals across the three legs.

SA’S MEDALS IN WORLD CUP SERIES SO FAR

(7) Gold

Pieter Coetze (50m backstroke, 100m backstroke x2, 200m backstroke x3)

Chad Le Clos (men’s 200m butterfly()

(4) Silver

Pieter Coetze (50m backstroke x2)

Chad Le Clos (100m, 200m butterfly)

(5) Bronze

Pieter Coetze (men’s 100m freestyle x2)

Rebecca Meder (100m breaststroke)

Rebecca Meder (200m breaststroke)

Rebecca Meder (200m individual medley)

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