Commonwealth Games 2026: Chad le Clos ‘would love’ medal record in Glasgow

Le Clos was eliminated in the heats of the 100m butterfly at the Paris 2024 Olympics and then suffered with “a bunch of injuries”.

He says he would not be competing in Glasgow if it was not for the advice of his father Bert to take a break from swimming last year.

“I was going to jump straight back into training in the April,” he explained.

“My dad was like: ‘You’re taking 12 weeks off. You’re not going to do anything. No gym, no swimming, no nothing. Just enjoy yourself’.

“I’ve never had that break in my life. It was a physical reset. It was just nice to get the body healed.

“I’m just grateful to still be swimming.”

One thing Le Clos has also had to adapt to is being the elder statesman in the pool.

“I look at the guys that I’m racing and they are all 19, 20, 21, 22. The oldest is 24.

“I’m 10 years the oldest guy, a senior, in my events.

“It’s crazy to think that in 2010, these guys were four years old, three years old. It’s unbelievable.”