Rio 2016 Diary: The butterfly final battle is on between Chad Le Clos and Michael Phelps
Karien Jonckheere
15:36 09/08/2016
Karien Jonckheere
15:36 09/08/2016
There is no shortage of top sporting drama on day four at the Games, with equestrian team and individual events as well as canoeing.
But the biggest draw without doubt is the men’s 200m butterfly final.
Defending champion Chad Le Clos surprised the 19-time Olympic champion Phelps in the same event four years ago in London – will the South African win gold again this time around?
Britain’s most decorated male swimmer Mark Foster believes Phelps will be beaten once again in Tuesday’s highly anticipated 200m butterfly final.
Foster has predicted a victory for defending champion Chad le Clos of South Africa, with Hungarian László Cseh taking the silver and Phelps the bronze.
“I honestly don’t know – I think it’s going to be that tight,” said Foster. “Even in London, I lost a lot of money when Chad beat Michael.
“Michael looked a little bit heavy this morning. He’ll undoubtedly go faster as will Chad. He’s got more and László has got more.”
In Monday night’s semi-finals, it was another Hungarian, Tamas Kenderesi, who went fastest with Phelps second, Cseh third and Le Clos fourth. Le Clos had, however, swum his way to 200m freestyle silver earlier in the evening.
“The three different styles of swimming are so interesting to watch,” continued Foster. “Michael’s a bit crabby and Chad’s a bit like that and László has a really long, lopey stroke. They’re all amazing underwater,” added Foster who competed in five Olympics, claimed six world titles and broke the world record eight times.
“I feel for László because he’s never won one. He’s come second to Michael so many times before. It’ll be a 1:52 final and I know Chad, László and Michael can do that.
“If I had to pick one – historically I would never ever have bet against Michael Phelps in the 200 fly until Chad beat him so that changed my opinion, knowing that he is now beatable.
“Michael’s not come back (from his brief retirement) to make the numbers up. You could see in the relay last night how much he misses that and it’s going to be over soon. I think he wanted one more here. I think he probably thought he’d get to 20 Olympic gold medals, which he will.
“He’s won one in the (4x100m freestyle) relay and he’ll win one in the 4×100 medley relay. If I’m brutally honest, if I put my neck on the line, I have a feeling Michael won’t win tomorrow because I think he was heavy this morning and he tied up towards the end.
“Whether he ate a bowl of pasta or not, I don’t know. I’ve never seen him like that and that makes him beatable. So I think László or Chad. Chad, Laszlo, Michael – there’s your one, two, three.”