Chad le Clos will skip the 100m freestyle at the SA championships in Durban this coming week.
But he will still try to qualify for the Olympics in this event when he leads off the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay in a time-trial at the gala‚ which doubles as trials for the Games in August.
Head coach Graham Hill says he wants to get up to three relay teams to Rio 2016 by having them swim specially arranged time trials.
Apart from the men’s 4x100m freestyle‚ he’s looking at the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay and the women’s 4x100m medley relay.
The championships kicked off at the King’s Park pool on Sunday morning and continues until Saturday.
All swimmers wanting to compete in Rio must achieve qualifying times in their individual events — unless they can squeeze into a qualified relay team.
Hill is expecting a fast men’s 100m freestyle final on Thursday night‚ saying the time trial would be held the following evening.
“Some guys know the relays are their only chance to qualify‚” said Hill‚ adding that the three fastest swimmers in the 100m freestyle final would join Le Clos in the time trial.
Le Clos can still qualify for the Games in the 100m freestyle if he achieves the 48.99sec required time in the opening leg of the relay.
His schedule at the Games has yet to be finalised‚ but he is toying with the idea of adding the 100m freestyle to the 100m and 200m butterfly as well as the 200m freestyle.
He will also compete in the 50m freestyle in Durban.
The top four swimmers in the men’s 200m freestyle final on Tuesday night would line up for the time trial relay on Saturday‚ the final day of the gala.
Hill said a women’s 4x100m medley relay time trial would depend upon the times achieved in the individual races.
The time trials will see the relay teams swimming alone in the pool‚ with no other teams around them to push them.
The ploy worked in 2008 when the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team swam a time trial to qualify for the Beijing Games that year.
Sebastien Rousseau is the only surviving member of that team who will be in action in Durban this week.
Le Clos swims for Olympics in relay
Chad le Clos will skip the 100m freestyle at the SA championships in Durban this coming week.
But he will still try to qualify for the Olympics in this event when he leads off the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay in a time-trial at the gala‚ which doubles as trials for the Games in August.
Head coach Graham Hill says he wants to get up to three relay teams to Rio 2016 by having them swim specially arranged time trials.
Apart from the men’s 4x100m freestyle‚ he’s looking at the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay and the women’s 4x100m medley relay.
The championships kicked off at the King’s Park pool on Sunday morning and continues until Saturday.
All swimmers wanting to compete in Rio must achieve qualifying times in their individual events — unless they can squeeze into a qualified relay team.
Hill is expecting a fast men’s 100m freestyle final on Thursday night‚ saying the time trial would be held the following evening.
“Some guys know the relays are their only chance to qualify‚” said Hill‚ adding that the three fastest swimmers in the 100m freestyle final would join Le Clos in the time trial.
Le Clos can still qualify for the Games in the 100m freestyle if he achieves the 48.99sec required time in the opening leg of the relay.
His schedule at the Games has yet to be finalised‚ but he is toying with the idea of adding the 100m freestyle to the 100m and 200m butterfly as well as the 200m freestyle.
He will also compete in the 50m freestyle in Durban.
The top four swimmers in the men’s 200m freestyle final on Tuesday night would line up for the time trial relay on Saturday‚ the final day of the gala.
Hill said a women’s 4x100m medley relay time trial would depend upon the times achieved in the individual races.
The time trials will see the relay teams swimming alone in the pool‚ with no other teams around them to push them.
The ploy worked in 2008 when the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team swam a time trial to qualify for the Beijing Games that year.
Sebastien Rousseau is the only surviving member of that team who will be in action in Durban this week.
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