2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
- Budapest, Hungary
- Duna Arena
- LCM (50-meter format)
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South African swimmer Chad Le Clos no-showed the prelims of the men’s 200 fly at the 2022 World Championships. He was entered as the tenth seed with a time of 1:54.93, a mark he set when he finished fifth last year at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Earlier in the meet, Le Clos had competed in the 50 fly, where he finished 33rd in a time of 23.86. The 200 fly is widely regarded as le Clos’ best event, considering that he has an 2012 Olympic gold medal to his name in it. That being said, it wouldn’t make sense for him to withdraw from this race unless there were external circumstances contributing to his absence such as illness or injury.
South Africa has been dealing bouts of sickness throughout their team at this meet, as Pieter Coetze pulled out of the competition entirely due to a COVID-19 diagnosis. In addition, Matt Sates also revealed that he came down with illness at a pre-Worlds training camp. He cited his illness as an upper respiratory infection. Sates still competed at Worlds though, but was off his best times, missing the finals in the 400 IM and 200 free and withdrawing from the 400 free entirely.
Le Clos is still set to compete in the 100 fly later this meet, but his disappearance from his best event puts his participation at Worlds in question.
He went 23.86 in the 50 and he did 1 breath so he wasn’t testing opening speed for the 100. With that kind of time he has 0 chance of making the semis in the 100 so I’d guess he decided to focus on the Commonwealth games.