Olympic gold medalist and South African national hero Chad le Clos recently revealed that he will be opening the Chad le Clos Swimming Academy in early 2017 in his home country. Le Clos, a double-silver-medalist in Rio this summer, told ZwemZa how he is looking forward to building his personal brand and preparing for his inevitable, if not imminent, post-swimming career.
Le Clos recently moved away from long-time coach Graham Hill, who led him to his Olympic victory in the 200 butterfly over Michael Phelps in the London 2012 Olympics, but has been quiet about the specifics of his plans for the future. Though only 24-years-old, le Clos is mature enough to understand that he will have to be something other than a competitive swimmer someday, and that in order to leave his mark on the sport he will have to give back and inspire future swimmers. Though the specifics and breadth of the Chad le Clos Swimming Academy have not been disclosed, it will likely embody many of the same values as the Michael Phelps Foundation, namely making children water-safe, promoting life-long healthy habits, and helping children who are interested in swimming competitively become the most successful athletes they can.
Le Clos says “I want to create a legacy for myself for the future and the CLC, Chad le Clos academy will be up and running next year.” While the location of le Clos’ new training base and swim school remain unconfirmed, some in South Africa believe that le Clos will be heading to Cape Town, where teammate and fellow London 2012 gold medalist Cameron van der Burgh will be relocating. Van der Burgh, who earned a silver medal in Rio in the 100 breaststroke, is preparing his life after swimming, despite still being an active and highly-formidable competitor.
Le Clos and Van der Burgh have both been active on the FINA World Cup Circuit, and blew away the competition in some of their specialty events at the African Championships last week in Bloemfontein- where le Clos won the 100 fly by over 2 seconds in a brisk 52.69, despite reporting difficulties with the altitude. Van der Burgh also set a new meet record in the 50 breast with a time of 28.05. Le Clos, while still in shock after his disappointing performance in the 200 fly in Rio, recently became the first man to win 100 gold medals throughout his career on the World Cup Circuit.
AB
I love le clos he is my hero and inspires me everyday to keep swimming and never give up no matter how hard it is
I’m still waiting for him to open a shadow boxing academy. I’ll sign up for that
Sweet!!! Finally I can learn to look around at people passing me in an Olympic final like a pro!!!
Oh good . Chad has his first customer .
‘It will likely embody many of the same values as the Michael PhelpsFoundation ‘ . WTH – does MP own water safety & these other laudable concepts ? He has medals & a swim line & a foundation whereas this article suggests Le Clos is investing in a physical facility .
Many ( not SwSwammers ) in the swimworld & beyond welcome a new pool facility & it will be very interesting to see Chad’s stamp . If it is Capetown it could be spectacularly positioned or it may be a practical location to serve the largest catchment . Multiple considerations & I am fascinated
I can only think this is a big plus for South Africa .… Read more »
I think this is a cool idea
Can anyone just be happy for him that he’s starting a business from his success…? About time swimmers start doing something like this. Plus, he is giving back to the community, whether it’s selfishly or not. I’m sure locals appreciate it
Is it just me or does it feel like Le Clos is constantly in competition with MP in a very stalkerish way? Considering he is not the first person to out touch Michael, what’s with the obsession? Dude, get your own life.
But he is the first person to out touch him in the 200 fly since Malchow in 2002 but that’s when a 1:55 was impressive
Next thing you, know he’ll be having a kid, and name it boomer
Boomerer. Or Phelps le Clos.
“The Chad Le Clos Swim Academy for Kids who can’t Win Gold and Want to Learn How to Shadowbox too”
Reports say that when Chad saw the floor plan for his facility he remarked it must be built with the windows facing the same way as Phelps’ Tempe home.
And the building needs to be at least….three times bigger! What is this a swim academy for ANTS?
Chances are Chad’s willl be better designed for climate & ventilation & solar orientation . Also Capetown is spectacular .I like deserts but not with a big horrible block of masonry stuck in the middle of nowhere.