Chad adds to his Commonwealth list

JOHANNESBURG: Chad le Clos added the 200m butterfly and 100m freestyle to the list of events he has qualified for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in April next year.

The Olympic gold medallist already met the qualifying mark in the 200m freestyle at the KwaZuluNatal Aquatics Premier Championships at the Kings Park Aquatics Centre on Sunday to secure his place in his third Commonwealth Games.

He raced to victory in the 200m butterfly final in a modest one minute, 58.01 seconds with Eben Vorster following behind him in a time of 1:59.88 to also add his name to the list of qualifiers yesterday.

Le Clos brought the night to a close winning the 100m freestyle where he was the only swimmer to dip below 50 seconds in the blue-riband event.

He dragged both Calvyn Justus and London 2012 Olympian Leith Shankland below the qualifying mark of 50.64secs, winning in a time of 49.74s.

Justus, who has already set a qualifying time in the 100m backstroke on Saturday followed in second place with a time of 50.35. Shankland dipped below the qualifying mark twice yesterday, first during the morning session, before touching third in the evening’s final with a time of 50.51.

Podium finishers, spearheaded by World Student Games silver medallist Tatjana Schoenmaker, Kaylene Corbett and Emily Visagie each met the qualifying mark in the women’s 200m breaststroke.

Schoenmaker dipped below the qualifying mark by nearly five seconds touching the wall first in a time of 2:26.46.