Le Clos assumes Games GOAT status with 19th medal

It started with a gold medal on 4 October 2010 in New Delhi. Some 16 years later, or 5 772 days to be precise, Chad le Clos powered down the final 50m of water in the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, touching the wall to secure another Commonwealth Games medal.

The colour, bronze, didn’t matter. It was worth its weight in gold as it meant that Le Clos became the greatest Commonwealth Games male athlete ever, a 19th medal in five editions of the Games, creating history for the 34-year-old national treasure.

Le Clos anchored Team SA’s men’s 4x100m freestylers to bronze behind Australia and England on the opening day of swimming at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. He did it with a split of 48.29 which was faster that teammates Pieter Coetze, Guy Brooks and Ruard van Renen to show that the medal wasn’t gifted to him on a platter.

It was also in Glasgow that he won seven medals in 2014. Add to that five medals in 2010 (New Delhi), five in 2018 (Gold Coast) and one in 2022 (Birmingham). Now, the record-breaking one he needed in 2026.

If the currency of success is medals, then Le Clos is officially the Commonwealth Games GOAT.

He’s carved a 16-year senior career for himself as a butterfly merchant, but one needs reminding that it was at the Rio 2016 Olymoics that he won a silver medal in the 200m freestyle, as he did in the 100m freestyle at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

This medal is the eighth of his 19 medals to have been won in relay competitions and it’s also the eighth bronze, to go with seven golds and four silvers.

Afterwards, the classy individual heaped praise on his teammates and despite standing 1.86m himself, joked at himself now being the shortest (and oldest) of another South African history-making 4x100m freestyle team at a major event.

“I couldnt have done it without the boys, everyone pulled their weight tonight. The nerves were definitely there, we needed the medal and do it for South Africa. It capped off a phenomenal night for the swimmers.

I’m obviously delighted to get medal No 19 and it’s something I’ve been chasing or eight years. I’m super proud. It was 12 years ago when I was a 22-year-old and we got a medal in this event and Roland Schoeman was 34. Now, I’m 34 and there are youngsters in this team who have incredible futures.

“I was very nervous tonight, probably the most nervous of the four boys. But I knew once Pieter dived in that we’d do it. Guy and Ruard were incredible and two of them were winning their first senior medals.

“My dad was in tears … it’s all very emotional. I’ve never given up and there’s been a lot of dark times. I’m a dog in a dogfight though and once I’m in one I give it everything.”

Meanwhile, Nathan Hendricks dug deep and struck gold for Team SA as the para-swimmer got the country’s medal tally rolling at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. And, as so often happens, one medal brings another one, and another and so it proved as both the men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay teams earned bronze to make it three on the first day in the pool.

The Tollcross International Swimming Centre proved a happy hunting ground at the 2014 Games also held in Glasgow and the signs are that there’s a lot more to come over the coming days.

Erin Gallagher leads a charge of three Team SA 50m butterfly finalists, along with Jessica Thompson and Caitlin de Lange, while Coetze and Van Renen could well have the men’s 50m backstroke to themselves after dominating in the heats and semi-finals.

Coetze is 1.97m in height but he’s also becoming a backstroke giant at the age of 22. He picked up three backstroke medals – a gold, silver and bronze – at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham but few would bet against him achieving the full house 50m, 100m and 200m gold here in Glasgow.

He lowered the Commonwealth Games record to 24.45sec in the morning’s heats and then notched up the pace to touch the wall in 24.29 in the evening’s semi-finals. And, the general consensus is that the 50m is the weakest of the three backstroke distances.

Team SA also has two confirmed finalists in the men’s 100m breaststroke, where Michael Houlie and Chris Smith have outside medal chances, while the Mixed 4x100m freestyle could throw up a bronze medal.

“This is my first senior medal and I’m ecstatic,” said Hendricks, who led from start to finish in the visually-impaired S13 100m freestyle category. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity. This gold is a gift from me to those who have helped me along the way. I’m still in shock and it doesn’t feel real, but obviously I’m so happy.

“Now I’m going to knuckle down, I’ve still got the 50m to come, so hopefully I can get another one!”

It was a night of raw delight for the swimmers, with the women’s 4x100m freestyle quartet also getting in on the act with their bronze medal.

Gallagher was one of three changes from the morning line-up that had reached the final and she played her part in the success. Her relay swim came shortly after her 50m butterfly semi-final win. “Luckily the programme was running behind schedule, so it gave me more time to recover. It was a proper team effort and so great to race with my besties.”

Olivia Nel carried the team from fourth into the medals with a blistering final leg and admitted afterwards that she had “felt the pressure. I had the conversation with the coaches before the race and they said that I was swimming the last leg for a reason. So, I tried to stay calm and focus on myself and not worry about those around me. It really was a team effort”.