Publications
Partners
Rio de Janeiro - Chad le Clos knows that he needs to be a lot faster if he is to challenge Michael Phelps and company and put his hand up for a gold medal in the final of the 100m butterfly on Friday (Saturday morning, SA time).
Le Clos progressed through Thursday's (Friday morning, SA time) semi-final in a time of 51.43 to qualify second fastest.
Phelps was sixth-fastest, but he had just won gold in the 200m individual medley before swimming his semi-final.
Le Clos, looking in higher spirits than he was after finishing fourth in Tuesday's 200m butterfly, knows that Phelps will be much quicker in the final.
"A bit slow, if I'm very honest," Le Clos said immediately after his semi.
"We have to be faster. I'm happy to be in the final of course, and we'll see what happens tomorrow."
Le Clos said he was "not quite there" at the moment.
"Still shaken a bit from the other night," he said.
"But that's behind me and I'm just happy to be out there."
Le Clos expected a time of around 50.3 or 50.2 to win the race.
"I'm sure Michael will go 50-low tomorrow," he said.
"We'll see. Let's not write anyone off. I wrote a lot of people off for that 200 fly and I got fourth.
"It's going to be a good, fast pace and we'll see what happens tomorrow."
Lloyd Burnard is Sport24's correspondent in Rio de Janeiro for the duration of the 2016 Olympics ...
