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Chad le Clos felt 'honoured and humbled' when racing fellow legend Michael Phelps as he reveals 'most emotional' race at Commonwealth Games
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Updated 31/07/2026 at 08:43 GMT+1
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South Africa's legendary swimmer Chad le Clos reflected on a career spanning close to two decades as he prepares to target the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, after becoming the most decorated athlete in the Commonwealth Games.
Le Clos felt 'honoured and humbled' when racing Phelps as he reveals 'most emotional' race
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Phelps and Le Clos met at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, with Le Clos winning the gold medal in the 200m butterfly.
The race was dramatic enough as he unseated the dominant swimmer from the United States, but the context made it even more intense as he won by a margin of just 0.05 seconds.
Before the Games, Le Clos had revealed that Phelps was his sporting hero.
Reflecting on the chance to race against one of the greatest athletes of all time, Le Clos told TNT Sports that he was thrilled to be given the opportunity, but made it clear that no other competitor - even Phelps - would leave him overawed when it came to racing for a medal.
”I was always not afraid to race - I was excited about the challenges. I was looking at the guys I was racing - the same at London 2012," Le Clos said.
”I was honoured and humbled by the opportunity to race Michael Phelps, but at the same time, I showed him respect by showing him no respect. So for me, that's something I've carried in my career.
”I love the guys I race. It's never anything personal for me.”
'It's a different Chad'
Le Clos referred to himself in the third person as he described the difference between the athlete who lines up to take no prisoners, and the man in the studio who was giving insight into his approach to racing.
He compared himself to Maximus Decimus, the lead character in the 2000 film Gladiator, explaining the change in his personality.
”When I get on that block, the flip does switch,” he noted. ”The first Gladiator, he smells the dirt. I learnt that when I was young. I taste the water. If you watch me before the race, I usually touch the water, so it's the same switch that I do.
”It's a different Chad who's talking to you now.”
Le Clos is one of the finest athletes in South Africa’s history, with the 34-year-old one of the most enduring presences in the pool with a string of memorable achievements.
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Asked how he remains so keenly interested in racing, he said that fixing goals ahead of him was vital.
”It's a great question,” he began. ”I've been asked that quite a bit in the last 24 hours. I'd say just the hunger and the drive. The goal-setting has been the most important thing over the last 15-16 years.
”As a kid in India who walked onto the stage, I was lucky to be there really, narrowly qualifying for those games.”
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, Le Clos made a huge impression, winning two gold medals, one silver medal, and two bronze medals.
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On Wednesday, Le Clos made Games history with his 21st medal, the most of any athlete. He did so by securing bronze in the men's 4x100 medley relay at the 2026 Games.
The 34-year-old has seven gold, five silver and nine bronze medals after competing at five Commonwealth Games.
He now aims to qualify for the next Olympic Games, in Los Angeles in 2028.
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