Le Clos Adds 50 Freestyle To South African Trials Event Line-up

Kings Park Aquatic Center in Durban will soon see South Africa’s most talented swimmers descend upon it as its nation’s Olympic Trials are set to start April 10th. The SA National Aquatic Championships, which double as the official Olympic Trials, run through April 16th, with the most recognizable faces in SA swimming ready to rumble.

SA Swimming has confirmed that 2012 Olympic gold medalist Chad Le Clos will be taking on his bread and butter 100m and 200m butterfly events, along with the 200m freestyle. But the 23-year-old has also added the 50y freestyle to his repertoire for the Trials meet as well.

Le Clos has made great improvements in the splash n’ dash event within the last year, only having actually raced the 50m freestyle a handful of times. He made it on to the podium internationally at the World Cup in Dubai last November, earning silver behind Brazil’s Bruno Fratus, clocking a time of 22.22.

Although that result is below the FINA Olympic qualifying standard of 22.27, the South African has yet to dip beneath the 22-second barrier in the 50m sprint free, which is an absolute must to contend with the likes of France’s Florent Manaudou and America’s Nathan Adrian.

35-year-old Roland Schoeman will be taking the 50m and 100m freestyle races, while 2012 Olympic gold medalist Cameron Van der Burgh will contend the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke events.

Michael Meyer, Sebastien Rousseau, Myles Brown and Calvyn Justus are just a few of the other notable studs ready to do what it takes to claim their spot on the South African Olympic roster.

The entire South African Trials announcement can be read here.