The second leg of the Swimming World Cup 2023 kicked off today with the morning heats. The winners were eager to continue their stupendous streak from last week in Berlin. In the heats, South African swimming sensation Chad Le Clos was not chasing just accolades but redemption for last week’s dismal results. Although Michael Phelps’ rival has 4 Olympic gold medals to his name, he was not protected from disappointment in Athens.

Chad Le Clos dominated the swimming world for eight years since defeating the Baltimore Bullet in the 2012 Olympics Games. However, after so many years of hardships and competition, he finally hit “rock bottom”. He devised that to overcome his depression, he must get back to swimming. However, his underwhelming performance on the opening day of the Athens meet has been a new source of frustration for the legend.

Chad Le Clos encounters disappointment at Athens Swimming World Cup 2023

Chad Le Clos took part in the 100-meter butterfly race on October 13. The Greek fans were roaring with excitement as his name was called out. The Olympic champion held multiple records in the butterfly event, and he was going to be a strong contender in the heats. Chad Le Clos joined the lineup against fellow South African swimmer Matthew Sates. He entered the pool in Lane 4, right next to Sates in Lane 3.

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The 31-year-old sprinted down the 50-meter pool, but Matthew Sates was ready. As per World Aquatics, Sates finished the first split at 24.76 seconds, while Le Clos came in almost a second later at 25.22. His competitor did not let go of his advantage and went in for the final lap with a determined pace.

But all his effort was in vain as Sates touched the wall first at 52.34. Chad Le Clos came second in the heat with a time of 52.97. He scored a meager 813 Aqua points against his competition’s 843 points. Chad Le Clos barely made the time to qualify for the finals, keeping his chances of redemption alive. However, given the state of his mental exhaustion, many are wondering if he can perform at his best at the finals.

Chad Le Clos’ mental struggles

Swimming is both a physical and mental sport where determination can be the differentiating factor between a win and a loss. Chad Le Clos is worn out after years of competing at the elite level. Le Clos in an exclusive interview with the Olympics said, “To the normal person I have a great life, right? But they couldn’t see the struggles”. This kind of negligence made the bad situation worse for the swimming ace. Finally, he had had enough and took a break from the sport.

Read More: 16 Years After First Swimming World Cup, Michael Phelps’ Rival Chad Le Clos Pens Down Heartfelt Note to Sporting World

Now, he takes his mental health very seriously and only participated in the Swimming World Cup 2023 after carefully assessing himself. He wants to use this opportunity to prove to himself and others that he can do it. However, in a cruel twist, he has faced one disappointment after another.

Watch this story: Swimming GOAT Michael Phelps Shares a Beautiful Memory With “Black Mamba” Kobe Bryant Years After the Demise of the NBA Legend