Four years ago, in the gauntlet of an Olympic mixed zone in another time zone, Chad le Clos stopped for a chat, and then immediately stopped talking. A few metres away from him Michael Phelps was talking to a crush of journalists, arms extended with cells and Dictaphones to record his words.
Le Clos wanted to hear what Phelps had to say, and he asked us if we could wait as he turned his head to the left and listened as the American entertained questions. When Phelps was done, he turned to us and smiled and entertained our questions.
It has always been Phelps for Le Clos. Two years before the 2012 Games, when everything changed in five hundredths of a second, Swimming World TV had described Le Clos as a “young Michael Phelps”.
They forecast that he would make a “massive international breakthrough” soon. It was a good call. Le Clos beat Phelps in London. It blew the whole damn place apart.
“It’s a dream come true. Michael Phelps was an idol to me. He still is. I still can’t believe I beat him in the final,” Le Clos told us after his second final of the London Games, the 4x200m relay. “It’s something that I’ve lived over and over in my head like a million times and I’m still so shocked that I won. I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it.”
He had beaten him by being him, he said.
“I’m as shocked as you are. I can tell you that I’ve swum that final 50-metres in my head a million times. I’ve watched all his races since the 2000 Olympics and I can always remember how he always finished strongly. I felt like him. Swimming that last 50 I felt like I was Phelps. I remember looking at him and he just said congratulations and enjoy the moment’. He’s such a legend. It’s a great honour.
“I still felt like I was dreaming (when I was standing on that top step and looking down at Phelps). I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think it would actually happen in this lifetime. I was just so proud to have been there and lived my dream.”
He should have had a little wrist band that read: “WWPD (What Would Phelps Do?).” What would he do, the greatest Olympian of all time? He would retire, get in some trouble, smoke some weed and then return in a fury.
The face of Phelps in the call room was the face of focussed fury. Ali had prodded Liston. The big ugly bear was stirred. But this time the young champion would not win. This time the fairytale was more than a finger-tip touch away. This time Le Clos would still have done well to listen to the words of wisdom from Phelps after the race: “The kid has talent.” This time the kid learnt a lesson.
But no doubt the kid has talent
The Star