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Top swimmer Chad le Clos

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Suzaan van Biljon, on the other hand, broke Penny Heyns's 13-year-old African record in the 200m breaststroke as she clocked 2 minutes 23.21 seconds to qualify fifth-fastest overall for tonight's final.

But Le Clos, struggling after getting little sleep, looked pedestrian against a tough field that included last night's victims Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, but the truth is that he cracked a 1:58.49 personal best - the joint-slowest time of the eight-strong line-up alongside Briton James Goddard.

Lochte was quickest in 1:56.13, ahead of Laszlo Cseh (1:56.74) and Phelps (1:57.11).

"I'm relieved, I didn't think I was going to make it," Le Clos said. "Physically today has been really hard. I got back (to his room in the Olympic village) at 2am and I couldn't sleep until 3.30am. I woke up at 6am and I had to go for a walk."

Le Clos, who will also race in the 100m butterfly today, said the 200m IM was a better medal chance for him. "I'll try to get another medal. I'll give them a run for their money."

• In the only medal contest involving a South African yesterday, Ashleigh Moolman finished last in the women's cycling time trial, where English superhero Bradley Wiggins won gold in the men's race.

The British finally won some golds yesterday, overtaking South Africa on the medals table in the process. SA's other chance for silverware today is in the rowing, where the men's lightweight coxless fours will take on Britain and other strong crews, including Australia, Denmark and Switzerland.

In another action yesterday, SA's hockey men so nearly downed hosts Britain in their Olympic showdown, but in the end they had to settle for a controversial 2-2 draw. SA's badminton doubles team of Michelle Edwards and Annari Viljoen, who found themselves in the quarterfinals after four teams were disqualified from the Games after trying to lose matches, were eliminated by Russia's Valeria Sorokina and Nina Vislova 21-9 21-7.

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Thu May 23 20:31:38 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 2, 2012

warburton

its a good thing for SA,lets wait for caster to bring another one!!!unless she compits with another male atlets
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Aug 2, 2012

Stigga

I think its a good move he pulled out of the 200m IM final tonight

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Aug 2, 2012

Keafixa

that was a close qualification.....u need to work on ur backstroke, cos i saw lochte and phelphs were also struggling, but hey is going to be an interesting final .......that chiskop guy, lochte and the japanese guy are too fast and phelphs is still there.....all i can say ke gore good luck. u gonna need it
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Aug 2, 2012

ntshware-ke-yawa

i was worried last night when I was watching helplessly our athletes slipping in the last munites of the race.I think our athletes need to add a bit of pace coz those other athletes from other countries are as good in the beginning as in the end.
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Aug 2, 2012

Shredder

@ntshware-ke-yawa - Whenever I see you, I see "but what is this guitar Malema caring for? " LOL

As long as Chad and Suzzan qualified for the finals. They might kick some butt. All the best to them when they get into the pool tonight. Make us proud guys. Kgotso Mokwena, I was watching you in the news this morning. It looks like you are going to disappoint us :-)
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