Yesterday, local boy Chad le Clos did what countless other swimmers have only dreamt of, he beat Michael Phelps in the 200m Men’s Butterfly final. As glorious as the moment was, for him and the whole of South Africa, it was his father, Bert, who stole the show in a post-race interview.
During the race, Phelps was the favourite to win right up to the penultimate length, when Le Clos made his move. At the turn, Le Clos was still in third place, but quickly closed the distance and edged out Phelps in the final milliseconds, beating him to the touch by 0,05 seconds. In doing so, he dethroned Phelps who has been the dominating force in the event for the past decade.
Phelps went into the race with 17 medals to his name, but now has 19, wining silver in the 200m butterfly, and then gold with the US in the 4x200m freestyle relay, swimming the two races a little over one hour apart.
The BBC’s Clare Balding caught up with Chad’s ecstatic father after the race and the result was pure gold. Bert le Clos stole the show with his emotional display as he struggled to find, and articulate, the words to describe what he was feeling. As is so often the case with events like the Olympics, it’s as much about the fans and families as it is about the competitors they are supporting.
STANDBY FOR VIDEO TO LOAD
Here’s another awesome video showing friends and family supporting Le Clos during the race.
[Source: YouTube, Deadspin]
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