Silver was won jointly by Le Clos and Russia’s Evgeny Korotyshkin.
South Africa’s modest Chad le Clos said before the race he had not expected to make the final of the men’s 100-metres butterfly .
“The way we planned it was to sneak in eighth,” Le Clos said. “I never expected to make the final and be seeded second. It is a very big final. I’m very excited.”
After failing to win any medals in the Beijing Olympics, Team SA is making more of an impression at London 2012 with Cameron van der Burgh winning secured gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke final.
“Whatever happens—if I finish eighth or win a medal—I will still be proud of what I’ve done and proud of the team because we’ve done well as a unit,” Le Clos said.
Chad Le Clos poses on the podium with his gold medal for the Men’s 200m Butterfly final on day four of the Olympics
Le Clos was an unexpected rival to Olympic legend Phelps, coming second fastest behind the swimming legend in the semi finals and engaging the American in an epic battle for the men’s 200m butterfly gold on Tuesday, a battle Le Clos won.
However despite his success, Le Clos was doubtful about his chances of winning tonight: “It will be a little bit unrealistic to try and win,” he said.
