Le Clos smashes own 100m fly world record
South African le Clos smashes own 100m fly short course world record
Chad le Clos, rebounding from what he considered a disappointing Rio Olympics, won his second gold of the Short Course Swimming World Championships with a new world mark in the 100m butterfly yesterday morning (Singapore time).
The South African's time of 48.08 seconds improved his own world record of 48.44, set at the previous edition of the championships in Doha in 2014.
Le Clos, denied a 200m fly Olympic repeat in Rio, added another gold to the 200m fly title he captured on Tuesday when the championships kicked off in Windsor, Canada.
American Tom Shields was second in 49.04 and Australian David Morgan claimed bronze in 49.31 in the 100m fly final.
"I expected to maybe get close. I thought I'd be just off, but it all happened in the final," said le Clos, also the holder the global short-course mark in the 200m butterfly, in the post-race interview.
"Obviously, you have to be a bit fortunate to break the world record but, to break it by quite a long way, is exciting.
Le Clos, 24, noted it had been a rough year in and out of the pool, and dedicated the win to his family. Both his parents are battling cancer.
"I'm very happy and proud of my performance. This means everything," he said.
"It's been a hard year for me. There's no secret about that, so this world record is for my mom and my dad, and my whole family."
He will also swim in the 50m fly and 100m freestyle in Windsor.
Also making the headlines in Canada was Hungary's Katinka Hosszu, a triple gold medallist in Rio who picked up her fourth individual gold of the championships in the 200m backstroke.
It was another convincing win for the "Iron Lady", who was in control from the 50m mark and steadily built her lead to win in 2:00.79 - more than a second in front of runner-up Daryna Zevina of Ukraine (2:02.24).
Australian Emily Seebohm took bronze in 2:02.65.
Hosszu also won the 200m butterfly, 100m back and 400m individual medley earlier in the meeting. - AFP
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