UNBELIEVABLE! Chad le Clos makes history in the pool at Commonwealth Games

· The South African

It started with a gold medal on 4 October 2010 in New Delhi. Some 16 years later, or 5 772 days to be precise, Chad le Clos powered down the final 50m of water in the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, touching the wall to secure another Commonwealth Games medal.

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The colour, bronze, didn’t matter.

It was worth its weight in gold as it meant that Le Clos became the greatest Commonwealth Games male athlete ever, a 19th medal in five editions of the Games, creating history for the 34-year-old national treasure.

Faster than his team-mates

Chad le Clos anchored Team SA’s men’s 4x100m freestylers to bronze behind Australia and England on the opening day of swimming at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

He did it with a split of 48.29 which was faster that team-mates Pieter Coetze, Guy Brooks and Ruard van Renen to show that the medal wasn’t gifted to him on a platter.

It was also in Glasgow that he won seven medals in 2014.

Add to that five medals in 2010 (New Delhi), five in 2018 (Gold Coast) and one in 2022 (Birmingham). Now, the record-breaking one he needed in 2026.

If the currency of success is medals, then Le Clos is officially the Commonwealth Games GOAT.

Heaped praise

He’s carved a 16-year senior career for himself as a butterfly merchant, but one needs reminding that it was at the Rio 2016 Olymoics that he won a silver medal in the 200m freestyle, as he did in the 100m freestyle at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

This medal is the eighth of his 19 medals to have been won in relay competitions, and it’s also the eighth bronze, to go with seven golds and four silvers.

Afterwards, he heaped praise on his team-mates and despite standing 1.86m himself, joked at himself now being the shortest (and oldest) of another South African history-making 4x100m freestyle team at a major event.

“I couldn’t have done it without the boys, everyone pulled their weight tonight. The nerves were definitely there, we needed the medal, and do it for South Africa. It capped off a phenomenal night for the swimmers.

“I’m obviously delighted to get medal No 19, and it’s something I’ve been chasing or eight years. I’m super proud. It was 12 years ago when I was a 22-year-old and we got a medal in this event, and Roland Schoeman was 34. Now, I’m 34 and there are youngsters in this team who have incredible futures.

“I was very nervous tonight, probably the most nervous of the four boys. But I knew once Pieter dived in that we’d do it. Guy and Ruard were incredible and two of them were winning their first senior medals.

“My dad was in tears … it’s all very emotional. I’ve never given up and there’s been a lot of dark times. I’m a dog in a dogfight though and once I’m in one I give it everything.”

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