South African swimming stars Chad le Clos and Lara van Niekerk are returning after injury breaks. They will compete at the South African Short Course Championships in Durban from Thursday, 26 September to Sunday, 29 September.
This event, held at Kings Park Pool, also qualifies swimmers for the World Short Course Championships in Budapest, Hungary, which will take place from December 10 to 15.
A two-time Commonwealth Games champion, Van Niekerk has been out for two months due to a back injury.
She’ll compete in her usual 50m and 100m breaststroke events and the 200m breaststroke, 100m butterfly, and 100m individual medley.
At 21, Van Niekerk feels about “90%” ready, admitting that her training has been inconsistent.
“Training has been a bit up and down, but we make do with what we’ve got,” she said, TimesLive reported.
This is her first competition since May, and she wants to enjoy the experience. Her participation in Budapest will depend on her performance and future training.
The 2012 Olympic champion Le Clos is back after a shoulder injury sidelined him weeks before the Paris Olympic Games. He’ll compete in the 50m, 100m, and 200m butterfly and the 50m and 100m freestyle events.
The 32-year-old swimmer feels good about his recovery, saying, “My shoulder is great. I’m really, really happy.”
Although not fully fit, Le Clos hopes for some wins in Durban. He also aims to beat American Ryan Lochte’s record of 23 individual medals at the World Short Course Championships. Le Clos currently has 19.
Olympians Matthew Sates and Rebecca Meder will also compete. Sates has entered nine events, while Meder will participate in six.
The competition started on Thursday.
Compiled by Staff Writer
Pictured above: Chad le Clos.
Source: Chad le Clos/X
