BY RIZWAN REHMAT
DOHA: South Africa’s pool sensation Chad le Clos is glad he took part in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, an event that mentally prepared him for the race of his life at the London Games.
In August this year, the 20-year-old Durban beat pool legend Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly final at the London Olympic Games.
Le Clos - who picked up a couple of medals at the Hamad Aquatic Centre yesterday - has urged youngsters to secure a berth at any edition of the Youth Olympic Games ‘if they want to chase big dreams’.
Excerpts from a detailed chat with Le Clos:
Question: You took part in the Singapore Youth Olympics. Did that help you prepare for the 2012 Olympic Games?
Answer: Yes, of course all such events at the junior level help. I was 17 years old when I took part in the Youth Olympic Games. When you go over there, you realise how big the event is. So it is small taste of things to come. So it (the Youth Olympic Games) definitely helped me prepare for that (for the 2012 Olympic Games). Well, you don’t reach the Olympic Games and say ‘wow, these are the Olympics’. So yes, you are right the Youth Olympic Games definitely prepared me for the bigger show. It showed me the ropes.
Question: Would you suggest to the younger athletes to look towards the Youth Olympic Games?
Answer: Oh yes, I would tell them to 100 percent go for the Youth Olympic Games. I have told my brother the same. He maybe too young or old but old but he can do well at major championships after he’s taken part in one edition (of the Youth Olympic Games). Nobody is born an Olympic champion. I think you have to take these small steps and progress to the top.
Question: How do you deal with the star status now?
Answer: For me, I am a normal guy from South Africa. I live in a normal home. I belong to a normal family. I just try to be myself, I guess. I am not going to change for anybody. I am staying true to my family morals. So we are very happy with what we have achieved.
Question: Can you tell us something special from the 200m Butterfly final?
Answer: When I touched the wall (at the finish) the lights on the block showed it had one dot. I didn’t think I’d won. I thought I came second. I looked at Phelps and I saw two (dots) and that’s when I realised that I had won. For me that was the most incredible moment in my life. You can never ever take that away from me. It was my first time in a long course race. At the Olympics, I believe you have to be at your best.
Question: How did it feel to beat Phelps at the London Games?
Answer: Everybody has asked me which is bigger: beating Phelps or winning the gold? There was no plan from me to beat Phelps. At the Commonwealth Games I was ranked 13th in the butterfly and in London I was ranked number 5. I just wanted to improve this year. So it is hard to say (which felt better).
Question: What was your interaction with Michael Phelps like after you won?
Answer: He was a cool guy. He was fantastic. His exact words were “Live your dreams and just enjoy it”. He’s been there many times, so for him to give me that kind acknowledgement was fantastic. When someone like him comes to my level ... it was fantastic to see that. I am just going to keep moving forward. I am going to train hard and that’s my goal for the next four years. I want to get to 2016. I can’t make any predictions now but there are lot of goals that I want to achieve. I don’t want to go there and win just one gold. I want more. I want to be an ambassador for my country in swimming. I want to help the young kids.
Question: Can we compare you with Michael?
Answer: It is hard to compare me with Michael. But I think the way he spoke to me was like wishing me for the future. He was almost showing what I needed to do. I idolised him my whole life. So now I understand what he went through. I want to compete the same events he did. I want to do well.
Question: How does it feel when kids come up to you to talk about swimming?
Answer: I tell them you’ve got to believe somehow that you can do it. At the end of the day, everybody has the opportunity to do whatever they want to do in life. You want to believe what you can achieve. You just can’t get say you want to go somewhere. You have to believe, you have to train hard and that’s what I tell them.
Question: Your future goals?
Answer: I have some targets but I am not going to tell them just yet (laughs).
Question: The greatest Olympian is a swimmer. Does that excite you as a swimmer?
Answer: Yes, Michael Phelps excites me a lot. His whole attitude towards sports is amazing. Look what he has done for the sport in America. People don’t realise how much he has grown in the sport. Not just in America but worldwide. Everybody knows what Michael Phelps has done. That was important for me. One of the reasons I started swimming was because I wanted to be like Michael Phelps. I was a breaststroke swimmer. Five years ago I couldn’t event butterfly. Because of Michael Phelps when he won eights golds, I wanted to be like him.
Question: Does your dad travel often with you?
Answer: Yes, he does. He travels when he can. Now that he’s very famous I guess he has to (laughs).
THE PENINSULA
