At 34, veteran South African swimmer Chad le Clos stands on the cusp of an unprecedented milestone in Commonwealth Games history, one that has weighed on his mind for nearly a decade. He currently shares the title of the most decorated male athlete in the event’s history, tied on 18 total medals with Australian shooter Phil Adams and English shooter Mick Gault. Now, as he prepares to compete in the men’s 50m and 100m butterfly events at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, le Clos has made clear his ambition to claim the record outright.
For eight years, the unclaimed record has felt like “a weird monkey on my back,” le Clos told BBC World Service’s Sportsworld programme. He came close to breaking the tie at the 2018 Gold Coast Games, and again at the 2022 Birmingham Games, where he secured a silver in the 200m butterfly to draw level with the existing record holders. What many did not know at the time was that le Clos’ preparations for Birmingham were severely disrupted by unmanaged mental health struggles that left him off his peak. He reflected that even with those setbacks, the 2022 Games guaranteed him a place in the record tie, but misfortune kept him from crossing the finish line to take sole ownership – including two fourth-place finishes and a missed relay final spot.
This Games will mark le Clos’ fifth Commonwealth Games appearance, a milestone he never could have imagined when he made his debut as an 18-year-old high school student at the 2010 Delhi Games. Fresh off final exams, the young swimmer left Delhi with five medals, two of them gold, launching what would become one of the most decorated careers in international swimming. He went on to match Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe’s record for the most medals won at a single Commonwealth Games in 2014, when he returned home with seven medals from the event that year, also held in Glasgow.
Le Clos’ journey to Glasgow 2026 has not been smooth. After being eliminated in the heats of the 100m butterfly at the 2024 Paris Olympics, he struggled through a string of persistent injuries that threatened to end his run at the 2026 Games. He credits his father, Bert, with pushing him to take an unprecedented three-month break from all training – a choice that allowed his body to heal fully and reignite his passion for competition. “I was going to jump straight back into training in April, but my dad insisted I take 12 weeks off: no gym, no swimming, nothing, just enjoy myself,” le Clos explained. “I’ve never had that kind of break in my entire career. It was a full physical reset, and I’m just grateful I’m still able to compete at this level.”
As the oldest competitor in his events by a full decade – with most rivals between 19 and 24 years old – le Clos has had to adapt to his new role as the sport’s elder statesman. He finds it surreal to note that when he made his debut in 2010, most of the athletes he will race against in Glasgow were still toddlers. But his age has not dimmed his competitive fire: he remains confident he still has a major role to play on the global swimming stage, and is in the best shape he could be heading into the Games.
Beyond the medal chase, le Clos says the Commonwealth Games record will not define his already legendary legacy. With one Olympic gold (200m butterfly, London 2012), three Olympic silvers, and 16 world championship titles already to his name, the South African star’s legacy is already secure. Much of that newfound perspective comes from his post-competition project: a network of swimming academies across his home country that now counts 13 clubs and more than 3,000 young members, with plans to expand to 50 clubs over the next two years.
“I’m not just swimming for myself, my family, or South Africa anymore – I’m swimming for the next generation of swimmers I mentor through the academy,” he said. Le Clos added that the academy has given him a new perspective on his career, and even transformed his relationship to competitive swimming. “That’s why I don’t have any immediate plans to retire. I’ve already set my next target: qualifying for my fifth Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028. This academy honestly saved my career – I don’t need to be competing anymore, but I want to be. I’m hungrier than I’ve been in years.”
The thrill of racing still drives le Clos, who describes competing under major event lights as an addiction he has never been able to shake. As long as he remains in contention for medals at the sport’s highest level, he says he has no plans to walk away from the pool he has dominated for nearly 16 years.